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Early  Cathclic  Hermit 

MEXICO.  Lopez,  Gregory.  The  Life  of  GL, 

Hermit    in    America.     16mo.    N.  Y.,    J- 

■yre,    1841.  ^5.od 

7  page  Preface  by  the  publisher.  On  title,  John 
-^esley  s  "For  many  years  I  despaired  of  finding 
ly  inhabitant  of  Great  Britain  that  could  stand  in 
ly   degree    of   comparison    with    GL." 

Came  to  Mexico  at  20,  in  1562.  This  is  an  early 
irrative    reissued.^  ab»td4*^,» 


THE   LIFE 


GREGORY  LOPEZ, 


A  HERMIT    IN  AMERICA. 


For  many  years  I  despaired  of  finding  any  inhabitant  of  Great  Britain, 
that  could  stand  in  any  degree  of  comparison  with  Gregory  Lopez. 

Rev,  John  Wesley. 


NEW-YORK. 
PUBLISHED    BY    JOHN    EYRE 

AND  SOLD   AT 

FALSOM'S  BOOK  STORE,  40  FULTON  ST. 

1841 


PIERCY  &  REED,  PRINTERS. 


DA  ,    "  UnRAHY 

l^  7  ^  b-  ^^^^/r;;I"  ^-^  CALIFORNI. 

^-70     L^  ^^"^  BARBARA 


PREFACE. 


The  Life  of  Gregory  Lopez  was  reprinted 
in  England  about  sixty  years  ago,  and  as  there 
is  no  subject  in  literature  more  interesting  than 
narratives  of  this  kind,  or  more  profitable  to  the 
pious  reader  than  religious  biography  ;  and  as 
the  subject  of  it  lived  the  greatest  part  of  his 
days  in  America,  (though  well  nigh  forgotten  at 
the  present  period)  the  publisher  hopes  that  no 
apology  is  necessary  for  giving  it  to  the  public. 

The  language  of  the  pious  character  is, 
*'  Who  will  shew  me  any  good  ?  How  shall  I 
obtain  a  greater  conformity  to  the  life  of  my 
Saviour— or  what  shall  I  do  4;hat  I  may  be  more 
devoted  to  God  ?"  Hence,  to  have  the  lives  of 
the  most  devoted  characters  minutely  depicted, 
their  actions  exhibited  in  the  clearest  manner, 
and  their  conversation,  in  a  written  document, 
1* 


iV  PREFACE. 

laid  before  them,  is  no  small  gratification — nay, 
it  is  a  considerable  motive  to  stimulate  them  in 
many  particulars  to  follow,  step  by  step,  such 
worthy  examples.  Nor  can  we  speak  lightly  of 
the  motive  when  followed  with  a  single  eye  to 
God's  glory,  seeing  the  Scriptures  set  before  us 
such  examples,  and  exhort  us  to  follow  them. 
Our  blessed  Saviour  has  said,  "  Go  and  do  thou 
likewise."  And  an  apostle  has  also  said,  "  Be 
ye  followers  of  them  who  through  faith  and 
patience  inherit  the  promises."  But  how  could 
this  have  been  done  had  no  record  been  left  as 
a  memorial  of  them  ? 

This  narrative,  however,  is  not  intended  to 
excite  any  one  to  follow  him  to  the  desert,  nor 
turn  hermit ;  for,  whatever  reasons  some  peo- 
ple may  have  had,  in  times  past,  for  secluding 
themselves — or,  however  God  may  have  blest 
them  in  that  situation — yet  this,  without  the 
authority  of  his  word  of  command,  is  not  a 
sufficient  reason  for  others  to  follow  them. 
Some  people,  probably,  have  said  that  the  life 
of  a  hermit  is  not  the  life  of  a  Christian  ;  but  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  suggest  to  the  reader,  that 


PREFACE.  V 

the  ways  of  Providence  to  many  have  beeii 
diversified  and  mysterious — that  many  things 
are  permitted  for  a  trial  of  faith  under  this  dis- 
ordered state  of  the  world,  and  many  difficulties 
encountered  by  necessity  which  finally  prove  a 
blessing  to  mankind,  though  not  primarily 
according  to  the  will  of  God.  Thus,  the  apos- 
tle was  banished  to  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  where 
he  wrote  the  Revelation,  and  the  author  of  the 
Pilgrim's  Progress  was  cast  into  prison,  where 
he  studied  that  book  which  has  been  so  blest  to 
mankind.  And  while  some,  from  necessity, 
have  sought  a  place  of  safety  in  mountains,  in 
dens  and  caves  of  the  earth,  some  others, 
probably  from  mistaken  notions,  have  volunta- 
rily retired  to  the  woods,  the  most  effectually  to 
mortify  themselves,  or  as  the  best  method  of 
devoting  themselves  perfectly  to  God,  who, 
notwithstanding  an  error,  have  given  us  worthy 
examples.  Thus,  in  both  instances,  good  has 
been  brought  out  of  evil. 

Hence,  considering  this  holy  man  independ- 
ent of  error  and  one  of  the  purest  of  characters, 
1* 


VI  PREFACE. 

or  exhibiting  him  to  the  world  in  an  age  of  dis- 
sipation like  this,  his  example,  in  many  in- 
stances, notwithstanding  such  circumstances, 
may  be  studied  to  great  advantage.  At  a  time 
when  thousands  are  striving  to  excite  each 
other's  vanity,  by  adding  superficial  embellish- 
ments to  natural  beauty  ;  at  a  period  when  many 
others  are  trying  to  outlive  their  fellows  in 
broadcloths  and  velvets,  their  silks  and  satins, 
or  in  some  splendid  piece  of  furniture,  which  no 
person  in  the  neighborhood  can  equal ;  it  may 
not  be  altogether  in  vain  to  show  them  "  a  more 
excellent  way,"  by  setting  before  them  a  char- 
acter who  renounced  such  vanities  ;  not  unsea- 
sonable to  remind  them  that  "  a  man's  life  con- 
sisteth  not  in  the  abundance  which  he  pos- 
sesseth ;"  to  convince  them,  that,  while  some 
people  possess  every  thing,  and  enjoy  nothing, 
there  is  a  possibility,  to  use  the  apostle's  words, 
of  "having  nothing,  and  yet  possessing  all 
things  e"  that  there  is  a  degree  of  faithfulness, 
which,  after  having  forsaken  all,  is  graciously 
rewarded  with  a  hundred-fold  in  this  life  ;  that 
such  people  invariably  obtain  a  peace  that  is 


PREFACE.  Vll 

ttiore  permanent  than  the  foundations  of  the 
earth,  and  which  they  cannot  lose  though  the 
earth  be  removed,  and  the  mountains  carried  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea — in  a  word,  to  assure  them 
that 

*'  Nothing  have  the  just  to  lose, 
By  worlds  on  world's  destroy'd." 

Or,  finally,  to  set  before  them  the  beauties  of 
self-denial,  which  leads  to  lasting  enjoyment, 
and  to  convince  them  that  Christianity  in  its 
maturity  always  proves  an  antidote  to  the  most 
fatal  sickness,  and  gives  a  perfect  meetness  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But,  say  some  people, 
"We  must  live  and  act  according  to  times  and 
circumstances — this  and  that  are  only  indiffer- 
ent things,  according  to  the  customs  of  the  day — 
there  is  nothing  wrong  in  conforming  to  the 
refinements  of  the  age,"  &c.  Nay,  let  us  re- 
flect for  a  moment  I  Can  any  length  of  time  add 
wisdom  to  Him  who  was  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting?  Shall  we  presume  to  say  that 
any  future  period  can  alter  the  character  of 
His  law,  or  that  any  refinements  in  a  fallen  peo- 
sple   can  tolerate   pride,  or  make  it  less  sinful . 


Vm  PREFACE. 

than  it  was  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  years  ago  ? 
Is  uot  every  man,  though  born  and  educated  in 
a  Christian  land,  an  heathen  and  an  idolater, 
only  as  he  embraces  Christianity  by  faith  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  by  virtue  of  that  faith  takes 
up  his  cross  to  follow  him  ?  And  is  it  not 
written,  that  "  the  unrighteous  shall  not  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  God  ?"  Wherefore,  if  such  is 
universally  our  condition,  and  we  are  all  equally 
involved  in  the  common  ruin,  let  us  lay  aside 
the  gaudy  robes  of  the  effeminate,  to  obtain  the 
spotless  raimejit  of  Christ's  righteousness,  that, 
being  clad  in  the  wedding  garment  of  God's 
people,  we  may  be  admitted  with  them  into 
everlasting  habitations. 

"  For  many  years  (said  the  Rev.  JohnWesley) 
I  despaired  of  finding  any  inhabitant  of  Great 
Britain  that  could  stand  in  any  degree  of  com- 
parison with  Gregory  Lopez,"  &c.,  which  was 
saying  a  great  deal  of  him.  Nay,  could  he 
have  said  any  thing  more  ?  Hence,  if  his  life 
was  read  to  such  advantage  at  that  day,  why 
gtot  now  ?     Nevertheless,  this  eminent  man  did 


PREFACE.  1^ 

not  approve  of  following  him  to  the  desert. 
This  would  be  a  step  absolutely  impracticable 
to  thousands,  and  followed  by  death  to  many 
others  :  yet,  all  might  follow  him  in  some  par- 
ticulars, or  read  his  life  to  their  mutual  advan- 
tage. Let  us,  therefore,  put  on  the  whole  armor 
of  God,  and  practice  his  virtues  at  home,  with- 
out retiring  to  the  desert — follow  his  example 
in  renouncing  the  love  of  this  present  evil 
world,  and  all  sinful  pleasures — imitate  him  in 
plainness  of  speech,  avoiding  evil  speaking  and 
useless  ceremonies — his  abstinence- — his  fer- 
vent prayer — his  striving  seventy  times  seven 
to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate  of  perfect  love  to 
God— -perfect  resignation  to  his  will — perfect 
charity  towards  all  men — and  his  earnest  and 
perpetual  desire  to  do  the  will  of  God  on  earth 

as  it  is  done  in  heaven. 

JOHN  EYRE. 

New  York,  January  2,  1841. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 


CHAPTER  I. 
His  birth  and  employment  till  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 

Gregory  Lopez  was  born  at  Madrid;  he 
seemed  to  be  one  without  father,  without 
mother.  For  no  one  ever  heard  him  mention 
his  family,  or  knew  him  write  to  his  relations, 
or  enquire  concerning  them.  This  made  many- 
believe  that  he  was  the  son  of  some  persons  of 
great  quality.  What  confirmed  them  in  that 
opinion  was  the  manner  of  his  behavior  ;  gen- 
teel, noble,  and  full  of  humble  gravity  ;  par- 
ticularly, when  he  had  to  do  with  men  of  rank, 
or  eminence.  For  they  admired  the  freedom 
and  firmness  with  which  he  spoke  to  them,  yet 
without  violating  the  respect  which  he  owed 
them. 

One  having  pressed  him  to  tell  of  what  fam- 
ily he   was,  and  what  was  the  name  of  his 


12  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

father,  he  appeared  somewhat  moved,  and  re- 
plied with  a  countenance  full  of  gravity,  quite 
extraordinary,  "  My  country  is  Heaven,  and 
my  father  is  God."  Father  Juan  Ozorio,  hav- 
ing asked,  of  what  country  he  was  ?  he  replied 
only,  *'  of  the  same  country  with  your  rev- 
erence." A  few  days  before  his  death,  when  I 
was  resolved  to  know  the  name  of  his  parents, 
in  order  to  send  them  an  account  of  his  life  and 
death,  he  told  me,  "  ever  since  I  left  all  to  evil 
wholly  to  God,  I  have  considered  God  alone  as 
my  Father.  As  to  my  brothers,  I  do  not  doubt 
but  they  are  dead,  for  1  was  the  youngest  of 
all."  Behold,  how  this  servant  of  God  had  for- 
gotten the  advantages  of  his  birth ;  he  considered 
the  nobleness  of  his  family  as  baseness  ;  he  es- 
teemed only  the  honor  God  had  done  him. 

He  was  born  the  fourth  of  July,  1542,  in  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Charles  the  fifth.  At  his 
baptism  he  was  named  Gregory ;  as  to  the  sur- 
name of  Lopez,  I  do  not  believe  it  was  the  name 
of  his  family  ;  but  rather  that  he  endeavored  to 
conceal  himself  under  that  borrowed  name. 

God  favored  him  with  uncommon  grace,  even 
from  his  tender  years.  Having  once  asked  him, 
whether  he  had  begun  to  serve  God  as  soon  a« 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.       13 

he  had  the  use  of  his  reason  ?  He  rephed,  "  he 
was  not  sure,  whether  he  had  begun  then  or  a 
Httle  after  ;  but  it  is  true  God  had  blest  him 
very  early  with  different  sentiments  from  -those 
which  children  use  to  have."  And  he  was  ac- 
customed to  say,  as  from  happy  experience, 
*'  Happy  is  he  who  bears  the  yoke  of  the  Lord 
from  his  youth." 

With  a  wonderful  facility  he  learned  to  read, 
and  to  read  so  well  that  he  surpassed  his  mas- 
ters ;  as  one  may  still  judge  from  the  things 
v^rritten  by  him,  with  such  elegance,  such 
strength,  and  in  so  beautiful  a  character,  that 
one  cannot  look  upon  them  without  admiration. 

It  is  certain,  and  he  owned  it  freely,  that  he 
never  learned,  either  Latin,  or  any  of  the 
liberal  arts  or  sciences,  so  that  ^here  is  no 
room  to  doubt,  but  it  was  God  who  was  his 
master  in  several  things,  and  who  taught  him 
many  truths,  divine  and  human,  which  others 
hardly  attain  by  much  labor. 

Being  as  yet  very  young,  he  went  without 
saying  any  -thing  to  his  parents,  -into  the  king- 
dom of  Navarre,  where  he  remained  in  a  reli- 
gious retirement,  upwards  of  six  years  ;  it  was 
here   that  his  soul  as  a  fruitful  soil    watered 


14  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

with  the  dew  of  heaven,  received  the  seeds  of 
that  holiness  which  afterwards  produced  ex- 
cellent fruit  in  great  abundance. 

His  father  having  carefully  sought,  at  length 
found  him  there.  He  brought  him  to  Vallado- 
lid,  where  the  court  then  was,  and  by  a  sur- 
prising change  he  was  made  page  to  the  em- 
peror ;  God  ordering  thus,  that  even  in  the  re- 
tinue of  a  prince,  there  should  be  one  that  was 
a  saint. 

The  fear  of  God  was  so  rooted  in  the  heart 
of  young  Lopez,  that  even  a  court-hfe,  and  all 
its  various  agitations,  which  like  impetuous 
winds  are  apt  to  ruffle  the  calmest  souls,  that 
he  was  always  recollected  ;  and  he  has  told  me, 
that  when  his  master  sent  him  with  any  mes- 
sage, he  had  such  an  attention  to  God,  that 
neither  persons  of  the  highest  quality  with 
whom  he  had  to  do,  nor  all  the  other  occasions 
of  distracting  the  mind,  which  are  found  in  the 
courts  of  princes,  interrupted  his  thinking  of 
God.  And  by  this  means  he  preserved  the 
same  peace  and  devotion,  as  if  he  had  still 
been  in  the  desert  of  Navarre. 

Thus,  even  in  the  heat  of  youth,  and  in  the 
dangerous  snares  of  a  court,  he  passed  two  or 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      15 

three  years  with  a  mind  as  unmoved,  and  a 
judgment  as  soHd,  as  if  he  had  been  ever  so 
far  advanced  in  years. 

Being  one  day  in  prayer  in  a  church  at  To- 
ledo, God  gave  him  a  fuller  and  stronger  reso- 
lution, than  he  had  ever  yet  had  of  executing 
his  design  to  live  wholly  to  Him.  But  as  re- 
solutions of  importance  ought  not  to  be  made, 
but  in  consequence  of  much  prayer,  he  passed 
several  days  in  prayer  and  watching  in  the 
church  of  Guadaloupe,  to  obtain  light,  how  to 
proceed  in  what  he  purposed  ;  and  hereby  he 
was  more  and  more  determined,  to  quit  both 
the  court,  and  his  friends,  and  native  country  ; 
that  there  might  be  no  obstruction  to  the  en- 
tire devotion  of  himself  to  God,  which  his  soul 
continually  panted  after. 


CHAPTER   II 


His  voyage  to  New  Spain. 


He  arrived  at  New  Spain  in  the  year  1562, 
and  landed  at  Vera  Cruz,  being  then  just 
twenty  years  of  age.  He  distributed  among 
the  poor,  the  stuffs  which  he  brought  with  him, 
to  the  value  of  eight  thousand  four  hundred 
reals,  shewing  how  Httle  he  esteemed  the 
riches  of  this  new  world ;  while  instead 
of  seeking  them  there  he  gave  away  what  he 
had  brought  thither,  without  reserving  any 
thing  for  himself. 

From  Vera  Cruz  he  went  to  Mexico,  where 
he  stayed  some  days  at  a  notary's,  named  St. 
Remain,  to  earn,  by  writing,  as  much  as  would 
carry  him  to  Zacaticas,  where  he  hoped  fully 
to  execute  his  design. 

Coming  thither,  he  changed  his  dress  to  one 
suitable  for  his  design,  and  went  eight  leagues 
thence  to  the  valley  of  Amagac,  inhabited  by 
Chichinque  Indians,  who  for  their  cruelty  and 
fierceness,  were  then  terrible  to  the  Spaniards. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.       IT 

But  this  servant  of  God  not  having  been  afraid 
to  declare  war  against  all  the  invisible  powers 
of  hell,  was  under  no  apprehension  from  visible 
enemies ;  nothing  doubting,  with  the  assistance 
of  God,  to  conquer  their  savageness  and  fierce-* 
ness,  by  his  patience,  sweetness  and  humanity. 
The  effect  answered  his  expectation ;  for,  after 
he  had  spent  but  a  few  days  in  the  valley,  and 
conversed  with  the  Indians,  their  fierceness 
was  gone,  and  he  had  gained  the  affection  of 
all  that  were  near  him. 

Seeking  for  a  place  proper  for  his  design,  he 
found,  several  leagues  from  Zacaticas,  a  farm 
called  Temaxeco,  belonging  to  Captain  Pedro 
Carrillo  de  Avila;  this  captain,  seeing  him  so 
young,  so  well  made,  and  of  so  fine  a  carriage,, 
barefooted,  without  shirt  or  hat,  clothed  only 
in  a  coat  of  coarse  cloth,  which  reached  down 
to  his  heels,  and  was  girt  lound  with  a  rope, 
asked  him,  whither  he  was  going,  and  what  it 
was  that  had  brought  him  to  that  country  ?  He 
answered,  "that  he  was  come  from  Castile 
with  the  last  flota,  and  that  he  was  seeking  an 
hermitage,*  to  pass  his  life  there  in  the  service 

*  This  step  does  not  accord  with  God's  design  to- 
wards his  rational  creatures,  and,  therefore,  cannot  be^ 


18      THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

of  God ;  but  that  he  had  not  till  now  found  a 
proper  place."  He  then  gave  him  the  reasons 
which  induced  him  to  retire  from  the  world, 
with  which  he  was  entirely  satisfied.  Carrillo 
offered  him  men  to  build  him  a  little  house  in 
the  place  which  he  had  chosen :  he  thanked 
him,  but  without  accepting  his  offer,  only  de- 
siring leave  to  work  himself.  He  then,  with 
his  own  hands,  built  a  little  cell,  only  the  In- 
dians assisting  him  therein. 

He  entered  into  the  twenty-first  year  of  his 
age  when  he  entered  on  his  solitary  life  ;  and 
seeing  himself  engaged  in  a  war,  wherein  he 
had  so  powerful  enemies  to  combat,  the  first 
thing  which  he  did,  was  to  throw  himself  wholly 
into  the  hands  of  God,  and  to  implore  his  suc- 
cor in  these  words — "  Lord,  I  here  engage 
myself  altogether  in  thy  service.  If  I  perish, 
it  will  not  be  my  business,  but  thine  to  answer 
for  it."  Words  that  expressed  the  absolute 
confidence  he  had  in  the  power  and  mercy  of 

recommended  to  any  one.  In  the  beginning,  God  our 
Creator  said,  "It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be 
alone,"  &c.  And  Christ  our  Redeemer  commanded, 
"  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven." 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      19 

God,  and  his  full  assurance  that  God  would  not 
suffer  him  to  perish,  whilst  he  cast  himself 
wholly  upon  him. 

From  the  moment  that  Lopez  had  thus  aban- 
doned himself  in  fervent  love  to  whatever  it 
should  please  God  to  order  concerning  him,  he 
felt  the  sensible  effects  of  his  assistance,  and 
began  to  walk  valiantly  and  with  a  great  pace 
in  the  narrow  way  of  penitence,;  without  ever 
looking  back,  without  ever  stopping,  without 
ever  losing  sight  of  that  light  by  which  it 
pleased  God  to  guide  him.  He  lay  upon  the 
ground  ;  and,  to  keep  him  from  the  cold,  he 
had  but  one  quilt,  and  a  stone  for  his  pillow. 
These  were  all  the  moveables  of  his  cell ;  and 
all  the  ornaments  of  it,  were  sentences  he  had 
wrote  upon  the  walls,  exhorting  to  go  on  to 
perfection.  His  abstinence  was  not  only  great, 
but  continual ;  he  eat  only  once  a  day,  and 
then  very  little,  and  of  the  coarsest  food ;  for, 
generally,  it  was  nothing  but  parched  corn. 
And  this  he  so  rigorously  observed,  that  he 
could  not  be  persuaded  to  dispense  with  himself, 
even  when  in  violent  sickness.  He  never  tasted 
flesh  ;  and  when  any  happened  to  be  given 
2 


20     THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

him,  he  received  it  with  thanks,  but  touched  it 

IlOt. 

Captain  Carrillo  had  two  sons,  Sebastian 
and  Pedro.  The  latter  has  often  mentioned, 
that  Lopez  Hving  near  them,  his  father  used  to 
send  them  to  him,  to  learn  to  read  and  write  ; 
and  that  he  often  found  him  on  his  knees,  in 
deep  prayer,  with  his  arms  extended,  and  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  earth.  The  two  brothers,  in 
return  for  the  pains  he  took  with  them,  brought 
him  cakes  made  of  Indian  corn,  the  only  thing 
(as  we  observed)  on  which  he  lived,  unless  he 
sometimes  ate  a  raw  lettuce  or  turnip.  And 
if  they  happened  to  bring  him  two  or  three 
cakes  at  once,  it  gave  him  dissatisfaction.  He 
told  them,  one  served  him  for  eight  days,  and 
he  ate  them  hard  and  dry  as  they  were.  If 
their  father  and  mother  sent  him  any  thing  else, 
he  sent  it  back  again.  They  sometimes  found 
in  his  cell  rabbits,  quails,  and  figs,  which  m 
this  country  were  accounted  delicious  food. 
These  (after  telling  them  they  were  the  pre- 
sents of  his  good  friends  the  Chichinques)  he 
gave  them  to  carry  to  their  mother. 

He  never  made  use  of  any  candle,  saying  he 
liad   no  business  which  required  it.     As  the 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.       21 

mglits  were  exceeding  cold,  the  Captain  offered 
him  a  better  quilt;  but  he  did  not  accept  of  it. 
When  there  came  any  minister,  who  per- 
formed divine  service  at  the  Captain's,  he  sent 
word  to  Lopez,  who  came  to  hear  it  with 
the  greatest  devotion,  and  immediately  after 
returned  home,  without  staying  to  eat,  how- 
ever pressed  thereto,  or  speaking  to  any  per- 
son whatever.  He  never  went  out  of  his 
cell  to  divert  himself,  or  even  to  entertain  him- 
self with  a  good  neighbor.  Thus  it  was  that 
this  holy  giant  went  on  amain,  in  the  way 
wherein  the  love  of  God  had  constrained  him 
to  enter. 

2* 


CHAPTER   III. 


The  conflicts  he  sustained,  and  the  assistance  he  received, 
whereby  he  was  more  than  conqueror. 

Those  uncommon  temptations  of  the  devil, 
which  God  permits  to  come  upon  his  saints  in 
their  soHtude,  arise  from  the  shame  of  that 
proud  spirit,  when  he  sees  himself  vanquished 
by  them.*  Accordingly,  though  the  extreme 
austerity  of  his  life,  and  his  want  of  almost  all 
necessaries,  occasioned  Lopez  to  suffer  so 
much,  yet  these  sufferings  appeared  inconsider- 
able to  him,  compared  to  the  inward  pains 
which  he  endured. 

In  one  rencounter  (he  owned  to  a  friend)  he 

*  Perhaps  it  is  more  proper  to  say,  that  his  uncommon 
temptations  arose  in  a  great  measure  from  his  peciihar 
situation.  If  the  husbandman  were  to  leave  the  labors  of 
the  field  for  a  life  of  retiremet,  he  would  enter  upon  a 
new  course  of  life,  must  feel  the  effects  of  it,  and  treat 
himself  accordingly.  Nevertheless,  we  may  admit,  that 
if  a  person  engages  to  serve  God  in  the  most  perfect  man- 
ner, either  in  solitude  or  more  public  Ufe,  the  Devil  will 
use  all  his  power  to  oppose  and  afflict  him. 


THE    Ll^E    OP    GREGORY  LOPEZ.  23 

had  such  a  conflict  with  the  grand  enemy, 
and  was  obhged  to  use  so  violent  efforts  in  re- 
sisting him,  that  the  blood  gushed  out  of  his 
nose  and  ears.  He  was  experienced  in  all 
sorts  of  spiritual  weapons,  long  before  his  com- 
bat ;  such  a  symptom,  therefore,  in  one  that 
was  accustomed  to  conquer,  shewed  how  obsti- 
nate that  fight  mufet  have  been. 

Once  the  devil  attacked  him  in  a  visible 
shape.*  Being  asked  what  he  had  done  to  de- 
fend himself,  he  repHed,  "Believing  I  could 
not  do  better  than  continue  in  the  design  God 
had  put  into  my  heart,  I  resolved  to  labor 
therein  with  all  my  strength ;  on  which  Satan 
disappeared,  and  never  tempted  me  again  in 
that  manner." 

It  is  certain,  that  during  the  whole  time  of 
his  solitude,  the  devil  strove  to  affright  him  by 

*  Many  people  speak  as  if  this  age  is  too  much  enlight- 
ened to  admit  of  this  assertion  ;  but,  how  can  we  abso- 
lutely deny  it,  without  equally  invalidating  the  testimony 
of  scripture  1  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke  assure  us,  that 
the  Devil  appeared  to  Jesus  Christ,  &c.  ;  that,  after  his 
departure,  angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him.  Matt, 
iv.  3 — 11 ;  Luke  iv.  3 — 13.  Was  all  this  in  imagination 
only  1  If  not,  is  it  altogether  incredible  that  he  should  be 
permitted  to  appear  on  any  occasion  to  one  of  his  faithful 
followers  1  If  so,  how  can  we  understand  that  scripture, 
viz.  "  He  that  is  perfect,  shall  be  as  his  master  1" 
2* 


24  THE  LIFE    OF    GREGORY   LOPEZ. 

all  means  possible  ;  sometimes  by  the  roaring 
and  rushing  of  wild  beasts,  sometimes  by  the 
cruelty  wherewith  he  saw  the  Indians  massa- 
cree  the  Spaniards,  at  a  small  distance  from 
him ;  sometimes  by  various  inward  tempta- 
tions, and  by  the  artifices  he  used  to  deceive 
him.  Continual  prayer,  both  day  and  night, 
was  the  remedy  used  in  these  encounters  ;  in 
which,  that  he  might  not  faint,  there  was  no 
kind  of  effort  which  he  was  not  obliged  to  use. 
Among  the  sentiments  from  which  he  drew 
the  most  strength  and  the  greatest  consolations, 
were  these  words :  "  Thy  will  be  done  on 
earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven ;  amen,  Jesus  !" 
For  the  space  of  three  years,  he  repeated  them 
without  ceasing,  so  that  he  scarce  ever  took 
his  breath,  without  saying  them  mentally, while 
he  was  eating  or  drinking,  or  speaking  to  any 
one  person  whatever.  I  asked,  if  it  was  possi- 
ble, at  every  time  that  he  awaked  out  of  his 
sleep,  they  should  be  present  to  his  mind  ?  He 
answered,  *'  It  is ;  I  never  breathe  twice,  after 
waking,  before  they  are  brought  to  my  remem- 
brance." This  application  to  conform  himself 
to  the  will  of  God,  was  so  necessary  to  him,  in 
order  to  resist  these  temptations,  that  although 


THE  LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ^.  25 

he  never  discontinued  it,  yet  if  instead  of  being 
as  exact  as  usual,  he  slackened  therein  ever  so 
little,  he  presently  perceived  the  devil  drew 
such  advantage  therefrom,  and  so  redoubled  his 
temptations,  that  it  w^as  not  possible  for  him 
then  so  much  as  to  look  into  a  book.  But  these 
w^ords,  "  Thy  will  be  done,"  served  him  for  a 
book ;  he  found  in  them  all  the  instruction  he 
could  wish  for ;  they  were  as  arms  of  proof, 
which  not  only  defended  him  from  the  assaults 
of  his  enemies,  but  gave  him  means  of  con- 
quering all  by  his  entire  resignation,  whereby 
he  threw  himself  absolutely  into  the  hands  of 
God,  to  dispose  of  him  in  what  manner  he 
pleased,  and  prostrating  himself  on  the  earth, 
he  said,  *'  Lord,  thou  art  my  Father,  and  noth- 
ing is  done,  but  in  thy  presence  and  according 
to  thy  will."  With  this  he  recovered  new 
strength  to  run  the  race  set  before  him. 

These  temptations  were  so  violent  and  so 
frequent,  that  he  has  many  times  said  to  me, 
he  was  astonished  that  he  had  been  able  to 
persevere  in  his  design,  and  that  he  could  not 
think  of  them  without  making  his  hair  stand  on 
end  upon  his  head.  When  he  related  this  to  me, 
he  was  an  old  soldier  of  Christ,  of  deep  expe- 


26      THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

riencp  in  this  spiritual  warfare.  There  needs^ 
therefore,  no  better  proof  of  the  greatness  of 
his  courage  and  the  fury  of  his  enemy  ;  for,  if 
the  bare  remembrance  of  it  produces  such  an 
effect,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  combat  itself 
cost  both  pains  and  blood. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


God  exercises  Lopez  in  another  manner ;  he  removes 
from  the  Valley  Amajae. 

The  conflicts  of  Lopez  were  not  with  the 
devil  only,  he  suffered  from  men  also.  As  the 
Spanish  soldiers  passed  by  his  cell  to  make 
war  with  the  Indians,  some  called  him  heretic 
and  Lutheran ;  others  said,  he  was  a  fool  or 
madman.  But  this  servant  of  God  had  nothing 
to  fear  :  he  remained  unhurt,  either  by  one 
side  or  the  other  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  dan*- 
gers  to  which  ht  was  exposed,  he  continued 
without  interruption  in  his  ordinary  exercise  of 
conformity  to  the  will  of  God. 

After  he  had  continued  three  years  to  repeat, 
without  ceasing,  "  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth 
as  it  is  in  heaven,"  he  found  himself  so 
strengthened,  that  he  had  no  longer  any  will 
but  that  of  God.  He  then  entered  upon  ano- 
ther exercise,  which  consisted  not  so  much  in 
words  as  in  actions ;  and  this  was,  an  ardent 
love  for  God,  and  for  his  neighbor.     This  he 


28  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

practised  in  so  excellent  a  manner,  that  he  was 
daily  going  on  from  strength  to  strength,  with- 
out relaxing  or  abating  any  thing  in  the  exercise 
of  perfect  love. 

He  was  so  advantageously  situated  at  Ama- 
jac,  that  he  would  never  have  quitted  that 
place,  had  he  not  thought  himself  obliged  so  to 
do,  by  the  love  of  his  neighbor,  whom  he 
earnestly  desired  to  serve.  Several  who  heard 
of  his  manner  of  life,  were  offended  that  he  did 
not  attend  the  service  of  the  church,  although 
he  had  no  opportunity  of  so  doing,  the  church 
being  seven  leagues  off.  In  condescension  to 
their  weakness,  he  resolved,  after  having  stayed 
at  Amajac  between  three  and  four  years,  to  re- 
move thence  and  settle  in  one  of  the  villages 
of  Alphonso  d'Avalos.  He  received  him  with 
much  humility  and  affection,  and  offered  him  a 
lodging  in  a  place  planted  with  trees.  He  ac- 
cepted it  gladly,  but  not  the  food  provided  for 
him ;  for  he  lived  wholly  on  milk  and  cheese. 

After  he  had  spent  two  years  here,  God  put 
it  into  his  heart  to  return  to  his  little  cell ;  the 
night  before  his  journey,  that  great  earthquake 
happened,  in  the  year  1568  ;  and  opening  his 
window,  he  saw  the  joists  of  his  chamber  fall 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      29 

Vi^ithout  receiving  any  harm.  He  stopped  in 
the  wa)r  at  Sebastian  Mexia's,  who  entertained 
him  gladly.  He  recompensed  him  by  his  good 
example,  and  the  excellent  counsels  which  he 
gave  him.  These  made  so  deep  an  impression, 
that  instead  of  the  fine  rich  cloths,  of  which  he 
was  so  extravagantly  fond  before,  he  wore  from 
that  time  only  coarse  brown  cloth,  like  Lopez. 

Mexia  conceived  so  strong  an  affection  for 
him,  and  had  so  great  an  esteem  for  his  wis- 
dom, that  he  resolved  to  leave  all  his  estate  to 
his  disposal. 

But,  Lopez  being  apprized  of  this,  and  not 
judging  it  proper,  after  he  had  renounced  all  his 
own  goods,  to  embarrass  himself  with  those  of 
another  man,  resolved,  immediately  to  proceed 
on  his  journey,  whatever  instances  could  be 
used  to  detain  him. 

Father  Dominie  Salazar,  a  Dominican,  was 
preaching  to  those  who  were  working  in  the 
mines  round  about  Zacatecas.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  virtue,  and  the  conversation  he  had  with 
Lopez,  made  him  conceive  such  a  high  esteem 
and  love  for  him,  that  he  pressed  him  extremely 
to  go  to  the  monastery  of  St  Dominic  at  Mex- 
ico ;  where  he  would  give  him  a  little  cell, 


30      THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

saying,  that  by  this  means  he  might  without 
danger  or  hindrance,  pass  his  life  in  retirement 
and  prayer ;  and  yet  without  being  deprived 
of  the  advantages  that  may  be  received  in  a 
rehgious  society.  Lopez,  yielding  to  his  rea- 
sons, accepted  his  offer,  and  resolved  to  return 
to  Mexico. 

He  had  passed  near  seven  years  in  the  val- 
ley of  Amajac,  in  the  village  of  Alphonsod' 
Avalos  and  with  Sebastian  Mexia,  living  every 
where  with  the  same  austerity.  His  habit  was 
then  so  worn,  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
for  him  to  have  a  new  one.  He  might  easily 
have  had  it,  for  a  word  speaking  from  any  of 
the  persons  abovementioned.  But  he  chose 
rather,  to  gain  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  as 
much  coarse  cloth  as  he  had  need  of;  not  so 
much  to  keep  him  from  the  cold,  as  to  cover 
his  nakedness.  He  went,  therefore,  to  a  rich 
inn-keeper,  'who  gladly  intrusted  him  with  the 
management  of  his  family.  He  acquitted  him- 
self with  so  much  care,  tenderness  and  humil- 
ity, that  they  were  struck  with  admiration. 
After  having  earned  in  two  months  as  much  as 
he  wanted,  he  took  his  leave  of  them;  nor 
could  all  the  prayers  or  tears,  or  the  money 
they  offered,  prevail  upon  him  to  stay  longer. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      31 

How  poor  soever  he  was  at  that  time,  he 
never  asked  alms  of  any  one ;  but  entirely- 
abandoned  himself  to  the  providence  of  God, 
having  notliing  to  live  upon,  but  what  was 
given  him  without  asking.  And  if  nothing  of 
this  was  left,  -he  labored  with  his  hands  till  he 
had  gained  more. 

For  a  long  time  (as  we  observed,)  he  lived 
wholly  on  parched  corn,  and  during  Lent,  upon 
herbs.  But,  hence,  he  contracted  such  a  weak- 
ness of  stomach,  as  continued  all  the  rest  of 
his  life.  He  often  worked  in  his  little  garden, 
but  what  grew  there,  he  gave  in -charity  to  those 
that  passed  by.  Sometime,  every  day  he  spent 
in  reading  the  holy  scriptures,  and  particularly 
the  epistles  of  St.  Paul. 

During  all  the  years  he  spent  in  solitude, 
the  aforementioned  assaults  and  temptations  of 
the  devil  continued.  But  these  in  a  great  mea- 
sure ceased  when  he  quitted  his  retirement,  yet 
others  arose  in  their  place.  Many  highly  con- 
demned his  manner  of  living;  others,  raised 
numberless  calumnies  against  him  ;  so  that  he 
did  not  want  enemies  in  the  world,  any  more 
than  in  solitude  ;  but  in  all  these  things  he 
was  more  than  conqueror. 


CHAPTER   V 


He  goes  to  Mexico  ;  thence  to  Guasteea,  and  falls  sick. 

Coming  to  Mexico,  he  was  informed  that 
Father  Dominie  de  Salazar,  was  not  yet  return- 
ed ;  after  waiting  for  him  some  time,  he  be- 
Heved  the  providence  of  God,  called  him  to 
resume  his  solitary  life  ;  for  which  purpose  he 
went  into  the  country  of  Guasteea ;  which,  he, 
judging  to  be  most  proper  for  his  design,  as 
being  wide  and  thinly  inhabited,  and  abounding 
with  wild  fruits.  Here  he  fixed  his  abode,  resolv- 
ing not  to  remove,  till  the  providence  of  God 
should  plainly  call  him  to  it.  He  fed  on  fruits, 
roots,  and  herbs,  which  the  earth  brought  forth 
of  itself,  and  valiantly  fought  the  battles  of  the 
Lord,  continuing  his  exercises  of  the  love  of 
God  and  his  neighbor. 

He  had  from  his  early  youth  an  ardent  de- 
sire of  reading  the  holy  scriptures  ;  and,  he 
now,  more  frequently  than  ever,  besought  God 
to  enlighten  his  understanding,  and  to  nourish 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 


3^ 


his  soul  with  the  important  truths  which  are 
contained  therein.  That  he  might  neglect 
nothing  in  his  power,  in  order  thereto,  he  re- 
solved to  learn  the  bible  by  heart ;  and  he  had 
so  happy  a  memory,  that  he  never  forgot  any- 
thing which  he  once  knew.  In  this  he  spent 
four  hours  a  day  for  four  years.  And,  during 
this  time,  God  gave  him  the  understanding 
thereof. 

At  the  same  time,  and  all  his  life  after,  he 
read  several  books,  both  of  ecclesiastical  and 
profane  history.  Many  were  glad  to  lend  him 
them,  and  he  read  entire  volumes  in  three  or 
four  days.  His  manner  of  reading  was  so  ex- 
traordinary, that  it  might  be  thought  even  su- 
pernatural ;  for,  he  frequently  read  over  in  ten 
hours,  a  book,  which  another  would  scarce  read 
over  in  a  month.  In  twenty  hours  he  read  the 
works  of  Teresa,  and  that,  so  effectually,  that 
hardly  could  any  one  give  a  better  account  of 
all  that  is  contained  therein. 

But  he  did  not  give  himself  the  trouble  of 
reading  anything  but  spiritual  books.  With 
regard  to  others,  his  manner  was,  to  read  the 
contents  of  the  chapters.  And  such  as  con- 
tained anything  which  he  did  not  know,  he  read 
through  ;  the  rest  he  entirely  passed  over. 


^4     THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

He  would  have  spent  the  rest  of  his  Hfe  at 
Guasteca,  had  he  beUeved  it  to  be  the  will  of 
God.  But  God  showed  him,  that  this  was  not 
his  will,  by  sending  him  a  violent  bloody  flux. 
He  bore  it  for  several  days,  in  the  midst  of  all 
inconveniences  imaginable,  through  the  want 
of  things  necessary  for  a  sick  man,  and  even  of 
food.  While  he  was  in  this  condition,  the  pro- 
vidence of  God,  which  is  never  wanting  to  them 
that  fear  him,  sent  to  his  relief,  a  priest,  named 
Juan  de  Mesa,  minister  of  a  town  in  Guasteca, 
a  man  of  an  exemplary  life,  who,  merely  out 
of  charity  instructed  the  people  of  that  country, 
and  assisted  them  with  his  substance.  He  no 
sooner  learned  the  extremity  to  which  Lopez 
was  reduced  than  he  sent  to  seek  him,  and  en- 
tertained him  at  his  house  with  all  possible  care. 
■As  he  past  several  days  without  any  sustenance, 
after  the  disorder  ceased,  he  was  extremely 
weak.  But  he  received  his  appetite  in  a  short 
time,  and  then  by  degrees,  his  strength.  As 
soon  as  he  found  this,  he  would  have  returned 
to  his  solitude,  if  his  host  had  not  hindered  him  ; 
but  he  kept  him  in  his  house  for  near  four 
years,  to  the  unspeakable  comfort  and  edifica 
tion  of  all  round  about  him. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      35 

Mesa  provided  him  a  chamber,  where  he 
spent  all  his  time,  except  when  he  was  at 
church.  He  was  commonly  in  an  upright  pos- 
ture, or  leaning  against  the  wall  with  his  eyes 
fixed.  In  this  retreat,  he  continued  day  and 
night,  never  going  out,  but  when  he  took  his^ 
sober  repast,  with  his  host,  whom  he  abund- 
antly paid  for  his  hospitality,  by  the  inestima^ 
ble  blessing  of  his  conversation.  All  the  fur- 
niture of  his  chamber,  was  a  bible,  a  terrestrial 
globe,  and  a  pair  of  compasses. 

During  his  stay  here,  one  who  came  from 
those  parts  to  Mexico,  was  saying,  "  there  was 
a  man  at  Guasteca,  who  was  suspected  to  be  a 
heretic,  because  he  used  no  beads,  nor  gave 
any  of  those  marks  by  which  good  christians 
are  wont  to  be  known."  I  asked,  whether  he 
spoke  well  on  the  matters  of  faith  ?  and  if  his 
life  was  unblameable  ?  He  said,  "  As  to  his 
faith,  there  is  no  fault  to  be  found ;  he  has  all 
the  bible  off  by  heart ;  and  his  manners  are  un- 
reprovable ;  he  is  almost  always  alone  ;  he 
spends  much  time  in  the  church ;  and  no  one 
can  learn  who  were  his  parents,  what  is  his 
country,  nor  hear  him  speak  about  anything  in 
this  world."    I  repHed,  mildly,  "  I  am  sorry 


36  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

that  in  this  he  resembled  Eli,  who  seeing  Han- 
nah move  her  lips  only  in  prayer,  concluded 
she  was  dyunk."  I  added,  "  why  should  you 
so  hastily  conclude,  that  such  a  person  as  this 
is  a  heretic,  one  so  knowing  in  the  scripture, 
so  holy  in  his  carriage,  who  spends  his  life  in 
conversing  with  God  ?"  He  was  so  moved  by 
what  I  spoke,  that  he  thought  no  inore  of  put- 
ting him  in  the  Inquisition. 

Till  this  time,  I  had  never  heard  of  Gregory 
Lopez,  nor  did  I  know  what  was  his  name. 
But  from  this  very  relation,  I  conceived  such 
an  esteem  for  him,  that  nothing  could  ever 
efface. 


CHAPTER  VI 


He  goes  to  Atrisco,  and  thence  to  Mexico. 

The  design  of  not  being  known  and  esteemed 
of  men,  occasioned  Lopez  to  change  his  abode. 
Accordingly,  perceiving  that,  after  he  had  been 
here  four  years,  he  was  much  known  and  hon- 
ored by  the  Spaniards  and  Indians,  he  set  out 
for  Atrisco,  When  he  was  within  a  league  of 
it,  he  met  a  gentleman  named  Juan  Perez 
Romero,  who  gave  him  a  room  in  his  house, 
and  all  that  he  wanted.  His  habit  being  worn 
put,  his  charitable  host  gave  him  another,  made 
of  coarse  brown  cloth,  in  the  form  of  a  cassock^ 
with  breeches  and  stockings  of  the  same — he 
lyore  the  same  sort  all  the  rest  of  his  life.  He 
was  situated  much  to  his  satisfaction  here  ;  his 
host  living  truly  a  Christian  life,  and  profiting 
both  by  his  advice  and  example,  the  only 
recompense  he  had  to  make  him.  But  God 
did  not  permit  him  to  remain  here  any  more 
than  two  years.  Some  who  lived  near  Romero, 
3 


38  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ^. 

seeing  in  so  young  a  man,  and  one  who  was  of 
no  religious  order,  so  great  mortification  and 
such  admirable  wisdom  and  knowledge,  even 
without  a  learned  education,  were  afraid  where 
no  fear  was,  and  accused  him  with  so  much 
warmth  before  the  Archbishop  of  Mexico,  that 
he  believed  a  judicial  information  ought  to  be 
taken  concerning  him.  This  infoniiation  was 
taken  in  due  form  of  law,  and  the  sentence 
which  the  Archbishop  gave  thereupon,  made 
not  only  the  innocence  of  Lopez  appear,  but 
likewise  his  eminent  virtue  and  piety. 

He  then  took  his  leave  of  Romero,  leaving 
both  him,  his  family,  and  his  neighbors  swal- 
lowed up  in  sorrow.  Being  in  the  way  to 
Mexico,  he  observed  a  church  near  Testuco^ 
where  he  imagined  he  might  find  some  small 
lodging  fit  for  a  religious  retreat.  And  so  he 
did  in  his  return  from  Mexico.  During  the 
first  seven  months  of  his  abode  there,  none 
knew  what  he  was,  nor  took  any  notice  of  him. 
As  he  appeared  like  a  simple  man  of  little 
spirit  and  understanding,  no  one  was  forward 
to  accost  him,  nor  did  any  one  perceive  the 
immense  treasure  which  God  had  hid  in  his^ 
soul. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      39 

By  this  means  he  was  in  so  great  necessity 
(as  was  afterwards  known)  that  sometimes  he 
passed  several  days  without  eating  any  thing 
but  wild  quinces.  But  afterwards,  the  people 
began  to  observe  him  more,  and  devout  persons 
invited  him  to  eat  with  them.  His  very  un- 
common abstinence  and  manner  of  life  was 
then  matter  of  edification  to  some ;  others  sus- 
pected all  was  not  well ;  and  others  concluded 
he  was  a  secret  heretic. 

These  could  not  be  at  rest,  till  they  had  ap- 
plied again  to  the  Archbishop,  Don  Pedro 
Moya  de  Conturas,  who  then  determined  to  be 
more  exactly  informed  of  the  life,  manners,  and 
sentiments  of  Lopez.  To  this  end  I  went  to 
Testuco;  where,  after  I  had  conversed  with 
him  for  a  long  time,  I  was  thoroughly  satisfied. 
Of  this  I  gave  an  account  to  the  Archbishop, 
who,  in  order  to  remove  all  future  objections, 
commissioned  Father  Alphonso  Sanchez,  a 
person  of  eminent  piety  and  knowledge,  to  en- 
quire more  fully  into  his  employments,  exer- 
cises, and  sentiments.  He  accordingly  went, 
and  asked  him  many  questions,  which  he  an- 
swered with  much  modesty  and  humility,  but 
exceedingly  briefly,  till  Sanchez  said,  *'  I  will 
3* 


40  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

declare  to  you  frankly,  it  is  my  Lord  Arch- 
bishop has  sent  me  ;  and  therefore,  as  you  are 
one  of  his  sheep,  you  are  obliged  to  answer 
me  with  all  plainness."  He  then  began  to  in- 
terrogate anew,  and  to  ask  the  most  difficult 
questions  concerning  faith.  Lopez  answered 
him  with  the  utmost  clearness,  and  supported 
all  his  answers  with  scripture,  recounted  all 
the  heresies  which  had  arisen  against  the 
truth,  marking  all  the  times  and  authors  of 
them,  and  also  the  fathers  and  doctors  that  op- 
posed them  either  viva  voce  or  by  writing  ;  and 
all  his  answers  were  so  judicious  and  solidj  that 
the  Father  stood  in  admiratioh  of  him — and 
much  more  at  the  mariner  wherein  he  answered 
all  objections,  either  to  his  inward  or  outward 
conduct,  which  convinced  him  he  acted  with  a 
prudence  that  was  rather  divine  than  human. 

He  gave  an  account  of  all  that  had  passed 
to  the  Archbishop  in  a  manner  so  advantageous 
to  Lopez,  that  this  good  Bishop  testified  much 
satisfaction  at  having  a  man  of  so  great  virtue 
joined  to  his  flock. 

The  first  time  I  spoke  to  his  Grace  after 
this,  he  said.  Father  Sanchez,  in  giving  him 
an   account  of  Lopez,   had  used  these  very 


fKE  LIFE  OP  GREGORY  LOPEZ.     41 

words,  '*  In  truth,  my  Lord,  I  am  obliged  to 
acknowledge,  that  in  comparison  of  this  man,  I 
have  hot  yet  begun  to  learn  my  spiritual 
A,  B,  C." 

While  he  was  at  Testuco,  several  persons  of 
all  ranks,  coming  from  Mexico  to  consult  him 
touching  their  spiritual  distresses,  they  all  re- 
turned much  enlightened  and  comforted.  All 
the  people  then  began  to  take  knowledge  that  he 
had  a  peculiar  gift  from  God  of  easing  and 
comforting  the  afflicted. 


8* 


CHAPTER    VII. 


He  goes  to  the  Hospital  of  Guastepea  :  his  inward  and 
outward  exercises  there. 

After  this  servant  of  God  had  spent  two 
years  at  Testuco,  he  fell  into  so  severe  an  ill- 
ness, being  attacked  by  so  violent  cholics  and 
pains  in  the  stomach,  that  he  was  constrained 
to  remove  from  thence.  He  then  went  to  the 
Hospital  of  Guastepea,  twelve  leagues  from 
Mexico,  in  the  year  1580. 

He  was  received  there  by  brother  Stephano 
de  Herrera  in  the  best  manner  he  was  able, 
considering  the  poor  condition  the  hospital  was 
then  in,  being  newly  founded.  He  lodged  him 
in  his  own  chamber,  and  treated  him  with  abun- 
dance of  tenderness.  The  same  he  used  to- 
wards all  the  poor  that  came  to  the  hospital, 
although  he  had  not  then  a  revenue  to  feed 
them,  or  a  building  to  lodge  them  in.  Indeed, 
it  appeared  impossible  that  he  should,  if  things 
were  but  humanly  considered.    But  the  zeal  of 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      43 

Bernardin  Alvarez,  the  founder,  and  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  conquered  all  things,  I  remem- 
ber, that  when  I  asked  Alvarez,  whether  he 
was  willing  to  receive  Lopez  into  his  hospital, 
he  replied  :  '*  Would  to  God  there  were  room 
in  my  hospital  to  lodge  all  the  poor  in  the  world. 
For  I  have  such  a  confidence  in  the  goodness  of 
Jesus  Christ,  that  I  cannot  doubt  but  he  would 
provide  for  them  all."  And  how  pleasing  to 
God  this  his  faith  was,  soon  appeared.  For  in 
less  than  two  years  after  the  hospital  was 
founded,  they  gave  away  there  every  day  sixty- 
five  measures  of  bread.  Neither  did  they  re- 
fuse to  entertain  any  poor  of  any  sort,  men  or 
women,  Spaniards  or  Indians;  not  only  those 
that  came  from  New  Spain,  but  from  Guati- 
mala  and  Peru.  And  they  were  so  well  re- 
ceived, so  well  attended,  and  treated  with  so 
much  care  and  love,  that  almost  all  these  pa- 
tients were  in  a  short  time  restored  to  perfect 
health. 

As  Lopez  was  discharged  from  all  outward 
care,  he  employed  himself  wholly  in  contem- 
plation, in  order  to  confirm  himself  still  more 
in  the  love  of  God,  and  of  his  neighbor  ;  of 
which  he  had  so  long  before  begun  to  lay  the 


44  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

foundation.  But  although  this  Avas  only  the 
continuation  of  the  same  spiritual  exercise,  yet 
the  growth  which  he  received  day  by  day  was 
such,  that  it  appeared  entirely  new. 

He  used  to  spend  all  the  morning  alone  in 
his  chamber.  At  noon,  when  the  clock  struck, 
he  went  to  the  refectory,  having  always  his 
head  bare,  with  an  admirable  modesty  and 
gravity.  He  brought  his  pot  of  water,  covered 
with  a  little  napkin,  and  ate  his  portion  as  the 
rest  of  the  patients,  but  did  not  speak  at  all, 
while  he  was  eating,  although  others  wer6  talk- 
ing round  about  him.  After  his  meat,  he  drank 
the  water,  which  he  had  set  to  warm  in  the 
sun,  because  of  the  extreme  weakness  of  his 
stomach :  when  grace  was  said,  he  remained 
some  time,  talking  of  spiritual  things  with  the 
brothers  of  the  hospital.  But  when  any  men 
of  learning,  or  of  a  religious  'order,  were  there, 
he  conversed  with  them  on  things  of  the  most 
elevated  nature;  and  that  with  so  much  mode- 
ration and  wisdom,  that  one  would  rather  have 
taken  him  for  an  angel  than  a  man.  No  sooner 
was  the  conversation  ended,  than  he  retired 
with  a  cheerful  countenance,  with  much  civility, 
and   a  remarkable  humility,  carrying  his   pot 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      45 

and -his  napkin  into  his  chamber,  where  he  re- 
mained in  his  ordinary  recollection  of  mind  till 
noon  the  next  day. 

Father  Hermando  de  Ribera  relates,  that  be- 
ing then  very  young,  and  Father  Herrera  send- 
ing him  to  call  Lopez  to  dinner,  he  sometimes 
found  him  in  a  kind  of  trance,  so  that  he  did 
not  answer  when  he  was  called.  But  when  he 
continued  to  call,  he  answered,  at  length — 
*'  What  do  you  want,  my  son  ?"  "  I  come  to 
call  you  to  dinner,"  replied  the  child ;  on  which 
he  followed  him,  saying,  "  Praised  be  God." 
He  went  on  Sundays  and  holy  days,  and  some 
other  days,  with  a  mantle  of  the  same  cloth  as 
his  habit,  to  the  public  fservice  of  the  hospital 
chapel ;  or  if  there  was  none  there,  to  a  neigh- 
boring monastery. 

Those  who  were  sick  of  any  contagious  dis- 
tempers he  could  not  visit,  his  own  extreme 
weakness  not  allowing  of  it.  He  therefore  the 
more  earnestly  exhorted  the  brothers  to  supply 
his  lack  of  service — on  which  he  spoke  to  them 
with  such  force  as  redoubled  their  fervor  in 
that  holy  exercise. 

Thus  he  performed  by  them  what  he  could 
not  do  in  person,  and  seconded  his  advice  by  his 


46  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

continual  prayers.  As  to  the  other  sick,  he 
comforted  and  encouraged  them,  in  so  touch- 
ing and  affectionate  a  manner,  that  they  were 
mispeakably  edified,  and  knew  not  how  to 
praise  God  enough  for  his  mercies.  He  was 
particularly  assisted  to  calm  the  spirits  of 
those,  whom  either  their  own  natural  impa- 
tience, or  the  greatness  of  their  pains  rendered 
so  fretful  and  outrageous,  that  none  else  were 
able  to  bear  them. 

As  much  as  he  loved  solitude,  he  never  shut 
his  door  against  any  who  came  for  spiritual  re- 
lief or  comfort.  And  many  declared  their  trou- 
bles to  him,  and  opened  their  whole  hearts. 
He  administered  comfort  and  counsel  to  them 
all,  without  ever  refusing  it  to  any  ;  and,  indeed, 
he  did  it  in  so  persuasive  a  manner,  that  few 
went  from  him  without  much  joy  and  satisfac- 
tion. Many  persons  of  learning  also  went  on 
purpose  to  confer  with  him,  concerning  several 
passages  of  scripture,  and  were  as  much 
amazed  at  his  knowledge  of  divine  things,  as 
his  sanctity  of  manners. 

About  this  time,  Father  Pedro  de  Pravia, 
first  professor  of  divinity  at  Mexico,  who  had 
refused  a  bishopric,  and  was  equally  eminent 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      47 

for  his  humility,  piety  and  knowledge,  went 
privately  to  Guastepea,  talked  with  Lopez  a 
whole  evetiihg,  and  said,  at  parting,  "  You  will 
come  to  me  to-morrow  morning."  Lopez  went 
to  him  in  the  morning,  conversed  with  him  till 
noon,  and,  after  dinner,  continued  the  conver- 
sation till  night.  Father  Pravia  afterwards 
said,  "  I  had  heard  great  things  of  Lopez  ;  but 
I  have  found  far  more  than  ever  I  heard." 

While  I  was  in  the  hospital,  he  compiled,  for 
the  sake  of  the  sick,  a  book  of  receipts,  con- 
taining simple  remedies  for  most  diseases.  He 
wrote  it  all  with  his  own  hand,  and  so  well  that 
it  looked  as  if  it  was  printed.  With  these  reme- 
dies, almost  incredible  cures  were  wrought ;  so 
that  one  wrould  have  thought  the  author  of  that 
treatise  had  made  physic  his  study  for  several 
years  ;  but  indeed  he  had  not  studied  it  at  all ; 
nor  had  ever  learned  that  science  but  in  one 
book,  that  of  the  love  of  God,  and  of  his  neigh- 
bor. 

He  sometimes  employed  himself  in  mending 
his  poor  habit,which  he  did  with  great  address  : 
and  he  made  himself  a  little  brown  cloak  to 
cover  him.  As  for  a  hat,  he  did  not  make 
use  of  any,  unless  he  was   abroad,  when  the 


48  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

sun  shone  very  hot-  He  was  not  skilled  in 
making  of  shoes ;  but  he  mended  his  own  so 
dexterously,  that  one  pair  served  him  more 
than  three  years. 


CHAPTER   VIII 


A  severe  illness  obliges  him  to  return  to  Mexico  ;  whence 
he  retires  to  St.  Foy. 

God,  whose  will  it  was  that  the  light  of  his 
servant  should  now  shine  in  other  places  also, 
sent  him  a  disease  which  was  not  known  at 
first,  which  proved  to  be  a  purple  fever.  His 
great  courage,  his  mortification  and  patience, 
made  him  pass  thirteen  days  without  taking  his 
bed.  But  then  the  violence  of  his  distemper 
constrained  him  to  suffer  himself  to  be  treated 
like  a  sick  man.  Being  so  weak  as  he  was, 
he  being  blooded  fourteen  times,  must  needs 
have  cost  him  his  life,  had  not  God  preserved 
it  for  his  own  glory,  and  the  profit  of  many 
souls. 

He  recovered  from  that  extremity,  but  there 
still  remained  an  inflammation  of  the  liver,  at- 
tended with  a  slow  fever ;  so  that  he  was 
constrained  to  change  the  air  for  that  of  St. 
Augustine,  a  village  three  leagues  off  from 


50  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

Mexico.     He  no  sooner  came  hither,  than  h6 
sent  me  word,  just  as  I  was  taking  horse  to  go 
and  see  him  at  Guaslepea.     I  went  to  St.  Au- 
gustine, but  found  him  so  weak,  that  it  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  he   should  have  more  help 
than  could  be  had  there.     So  I  remoTed  him  to 
Mexico,  to   my  own  lodging.     He  remained 
there  some  months;  and  several  persons,  during 
that  time,  coming  to  consult  him  in  points  of 
the  highest  concern,  were  so  profited  thereby^ 
that  it  clearly  appeared  God  had  brought  hinl 
thither  for  that  very  purpose. 

All  the  time  he  stayed  here,  he  never  went 
abroad,  but  to  hear  divine  service.  And  though 
the  Marchioness  de  Villa  Manrico  sent  three 
times,  desiring  me  to  bring  him  to  her,  he  ex- 
cused himself  by  saying,  "  I  have  no  need  of 
seeing  her,  nor  she  of  seeing  me  ;'  which  was 
the  more  remarkable,  because  the  Viceroy,  her 
husband,  was  greatly  feared,  and  she  had  an 
absolute  power  over  him.     But  some  years  af- 
ter, hearing  the  Marquiss  was  deeply  afflicted 
at  the  coming  of  a  Commissary  from  Spain,  to 
take  information  of  his  actions,  he  told  me,  "If 
the  Marchioness  desires  to  see  me,  I  will  go 
to  her  now." 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      51 

But  to  return.  He  did  not  recover  his 
health  at  Mexico.  His  fever  Continued.  He 
had  no  appetite,  and  was  as  v^^eak  as  ever:  so 
I  sought  for  some  country -place  hear  Mexico, 
which  might  be  better  for  his  health  than  we 
found  the  city  to  be. 

With  this  design  we  went  together  to  St. 
Foy,  a  t'oWn  two  leagues  from  the  city.  We 
judged  it  to  be  an  extremely  proper  place,  and 
we  pitched  upon  a  little  house  separate  from 
the  town.  He  settled  at  St.  Foy  on  the  22d 
of  May,  1589,  and  passed  the  rest  of  his  life 
there  in  contemplation  and  prayer,  without 
ever  going  out  of  it  but  twice,  to  a  church 
which  is  at  a  small  half  league  from  St.  Foy. 
Before  he  communicated  there,  he  fell  on  his 
knees  before  Father  Vincent  Calba,  and,  striking 
his  breast,  said,  "  Through  the  mercy  of  God, 
I  do  not  remember  to  have  offended  him  in  any 
thing.  Give  me-,  if  you  please,  the  most  holy 
sacrament."  Which  Father  Calba  repeating 
with  amazement,  said,  "  Is  it  possible  that  a 
man  should  have  attained  so  high  a  degree  of 
virtue,  as  not  to  be  conscious  to  himself  of 
€ven  an  idle  word.'' 


52  THE  LIFE  OP  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

In  his  little  lodging  here,  he  employed  him- 
self in  the  same  spiritual  exercises  as  before ; 
having  for  several  months  scarce  any  company 
at  all ;  only  I  visited  him,  as  often  as  I  was 
able,  in  doing  which,  I  observed  continually 
more  and  more,  so  great  a  depth  of  piety  in 
him,  that  my  affection  for  him,  and  my  desire 
of  living  wholly  with  him,  increased  in  the 
same  proportion. 

I  recommended  this  to  God  in  fervent  prayer, 
and  desired  several  persons  of  piety  to  do  the 
same,  begging  that  he  would  be  pleased  to 
show  me  clearly,  what  was  his  will  concerning 
me — for  I  had  had  the  care  of  the  great  church 
at  Mexico  for  more  than  twenty  years.  And 
some  judged,  that  T  had  done  some  good  in  my 
charge,  were  it  only  with  regard  to  the  poor 
who  were  ashamed  to  beg  relief :  for  whom  I 
had  provided  above  ten  years,  by  means  of  the 
alms  which  I  procured  for  them.  At  length,  I 
was  convinced  it  was  my  duty  to  retire.  My 
superiors  consented  to  it.  So  I  went  to  Lopez 
on  Christmas  day,  the  same  year,  and  stayed 
with  him  till  his  death. 

I  then  observed,  both  day  and  night,  all  his 
actions  and  words  with  all  possible  attention, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.  5S 

%o  see  if  I  could  discover  any  thing  contrary  to 
the  high  opinion  which  I  had  of  his  virtue.  But 
far  from  this,  his  behavior  appeared  every 
day  more  admirable  than  before,  his  virtues 
more  sublime,  and  his  whole  conversation  ra- 
ther divine  than  human. 

His  life  was  so  uniform,  that  by  one  day 
you  may  judge  how  he  employed  whole  months 
and  years.  As  soon  as  the  day  began  to  dawn,, 
he  opened  the  window  of  his  chamber,  washed 
his  hands  and  face,  and  spent  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  or  a  little  more,  in  reading  the  Bible,  in 
consideration  of  its  being  the  word  of  God, 
who  ordered  him  to  read  it ;  likewise  to  the 
end,  that  what  he  did  not  understand  at  one 
time,  he  might  understand  at  another;  but 
chiefly  because  he  had  such  a  reverence  for  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  that  he  took  it  for  the  rule  of 
his  conduct  every  day. 

After  this  reading,  he  entered  into  so  deep  a 
recollection,  that  one  could  not  judge  by  any 
outward  mark,  whether  he  was  speaking  to 
God,  or  God  was  speaking  to  him.  All  one 
could  conjecture  from  the  tranquillity  and  devo- 
tion which  appeared  in  his  countenance,  was, 
that  he  was  in  the  continual  presence  of  God . 


54      THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

But  that  presence  of  God  wherein  he  Hved  was 
not  barren  or  unfruitful,  seeing  it  daily  pro- 
duced more  and  more  acts  of  love  to  God  and 
his  neighbor — the  love  which  is  the  end  of  the 
commandment,  and  the  sum  of  all  perfection. 

Behold  how  this  servant  of  God  passed  all 
the  morning,  all  the  evening,  and  great  part  of 
the  night.  Behold  the  bread  with  which  he 
nourished  his  soul  every  day  \  But,  although 
this  was  in  his  mind  continually,  yet  I  have  ob- 
served, it  was  in  the  morning  chiefly,  that  he 
was,  as  it  were,  transported  out  of  himself.  He 
had  not  herein  any  determinate  place,  nor  any 
fixed  posture  of  body  :  but  commonly  he  was 
standing  or  sitting  ;  sometimes  walking  in  his 
chamber ;  and  sometimes  he  went  for  a  few 
moments  into  the  sunshine,  in  a  little  gallery, 
which  was  near  it.  As  for  kneeling,  he  could 
not,  during  the  last  years  of  his  hfe,  by  reason 
of  his  extreme  weakness. 

At  eleven  he  quitted  his  posture  of  recollec- 
tion, took  his  cup  of  water  and  his  little  napkin^ 
and  we  two  dined  by  ourselves,  unless  it  fell 
out  that  any  stranger  came  in ;  for  he  neven 
sent  any  away,  much  less  any  person  of  piety. 
While  we  were  at  dinner,  we  talked  on  reli- 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      55 

gious  subjects;  andsometimesof  natural  things, 
and  even  from  these  he  would  take  occasion  to 
speak  truths  of  the  sublimest  nature. 

After  dinner,  we  continued  for  a  while  to  en- 
tertain each  other  in  the  same  manner  ;  and  if 
any  person  of  a  religious  order  came,  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  hear  Lopez  talk  with  hjm  ;  but  it 
was  only  by  answering  questions,  or  when  oc- 
casions were  given,  for  he  never  began  the  dis- 
course. At  other  times  T  read  to  him,  at  this 
hour,  the  Lives  of  the  Saints,  the  Spiritual 
Combat,  or  some  such  book.  After  this  read- 
ing, which  was  a  kind  of  recreation  to  us,  he 
entered  into  his  chamber,  where  he  continued 
in  union  with  God,  which  neither  eating,  nor 
conversation,  nor  business,  nor  any  thing  what- 
ever, could  interrupt.  And  as  he  never  slept 
in  the  day,  he  had  a  great  deal  of  time  to  con- 
verse with  God  :  he  had  seldom  any  visitant 
in  the  morning ;  but,  in  the  afternoon,  his  gate 
was  open  to  all  the  world — he  advised  them, 
comforted  them,  and  promised  to  pray  to  God 
for  them.  Accordingly,  in  the  last  years  of 
his  life,  he  was  perpetually  visited  not  only  by 
people  of  common  rank,  but  by  ecclesiastics, 
by  men  of  learning  and  of  authority,  by  gentle- 
4 


56  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

men  and  noblemen,  who  either  came  to  see 
him  themselves  or  wrote  to  him,  to  desire  his 
advice,  and  to  recommend  themselves  to  his 
prayers. 

Among  these,  Don  Lewis  de  Velasco,  Mar 
quis  of  Salines,  who  had  been  twice  Viceroy  of 
New  Spain,  then  Viceroy  of  Peru,  and  after 
wards  President  of  the  Royal  Council  of  the 
Indies,  had  such  an  esteem  and  affection  for 
him,  that  he  came  several  times  to  see  him, 
and  remained  shut  up  with  him  for  two  or  three 
hours — such  a  capacity  did  he  find  in  him,  not 
only  for  things  relating  to  conscience,  but  also 
to  secular  aifairs,  even  those  which  concerned 
the  government  of  a  kingdom. 

Thus  did  he  employ  the  afternoon.  Before 
sunset  he  returned  to  his  chamber,  whence  he 
went  out  no  more  till  morning.  He  never  used 
any  candle  ;  upon  which  several  inquiring,  what 
he  could  be  doing  all  that  time  he  spent  with- 
out light  ?  I  replied  only,  "  They  do  not  com- 
prehend that  his  employ  being  wholly  interior 
he  had  no  need  of  a  material  light,  but  only  that 
of  a  spiritual  one,  which  enlightened  the  eyes 
of  his  understanding,  no  less  by  night  than  by 
day." 


THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ.  57 

As  he  never  eat  in  the  evening,  he  remained 
alone  till  half  an  hour  after  nine  o'clock,  and 
then  wrapt  himself  in  his  bed-quilt,  which  was 
the  most  delicate  bed  he  had  from  his  youth. 
For  many  years  he  lay  on  the  bare  ground  ; 
afterwards  on  some  sheepskins.  But  a  few 
years  before  his  death,  I  constrained  him  to 
have  a  thin  quilt,  besides  his  coverlet.  I  do  not 
think  he  slept  in  the  whole  night  above  two  or 
three  hours  :  the  rest  he  spent  in  contemplation 
till  break  of  day  ;  this  he  continued  till  God 
called  him  to  an  eternal  repose. 

Before  I  speak  of  the  time  which  he  spent 
at  St.  Foy,  it  may  be  proper  to  give  a  more 
particular  account,  both  of  the  graced  and  su- 
pernatural gifts,  with  which  it  pleased  God  to 
enrich  his  soul.   ' 


CHAPTER   IX 


The  knowledge  which  God  infused  into  his  mind. 

He  has  sometimes  owned,  that  God  himself 
had  given  him  to  understand  the  Scriptures. 
And  so  it  appeared ;  for,  though  he  never 
learned  Latin,  he  translated  the  Scriptures  from 
Latin  into  Spanish,  in  terms  so  proper,  as  if 
he  had  been  equally  acquainted  with  that  and 
with  his  native  tongue.  It  seemed,  that  the 
whole  Bible  was  continually  before  him.  When 
men  of  learning  asked  him  where  such  and 
such  texts  v/ere,  he  not  only  tJb  them  without 
hesitation,  but  shewed  the  sense  of  them  with 
such  clearness,  however  obscure  they  were, 
that  there  remained*  no  difficulty  or  obscurity 
in  them. 

Twenty  years  before  his  death,  Father  Do- 
minic de  Salazar,  afterwards  -Archbishop  of 
the  Philippines,  said  before  several  persons  of 
learning,  "What  is  this,  my  Fathers,  that  after 
we  have  studied  so  closely  all  our  lives,  we 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      59 

know  nothing  near  so   much  of  divine  things, 
as  this  young  layman  ?" 

Many  persons  of  eminent  knowledge  came 
to  him  to  resolve  their  doubts  concerning  pas- 
sages of  scripture ;  and  they  all  returned,  not 
barely  satisfied,  but  amazed  at  the  understand- 
ing which  God  had  given  him. 

Indeed,  he  had  a  vast,  comprehensive  know- 
ledge of  things,  even  of  the  speculative  sci- 
ences. And  what  he  knew  so  well,  that  he 
spoke  on  any  of  these  subjects,  with  as  great 
clearness  and  accuracy,  as  any  of  those  who 
had  made  it  their  particular  study.  When  he 
was  at  Guastepea,  Father  Jean  Cobus,  an  emi- 
nent divine,  was  astonished  in  conversing  with 
him  on  the  Revelations,  at  the  admirable  ob- 
servations which  he  made.  The  Father  prayed 
him  to  give  them  in  writing.  He  did  so  in  less 
than  eight  hours,  and  sent  them  immediately  to 
him  at  Mexico,  without  any  rasure  in  them — 
who  was  no  less  surprised  at  his  diligence^  than 
he  had  been  at  his  knowledge  and  piety.  This 
tract  has  been  admired  by  all  the  learned  who 
have  seen  it,  as  the  most  excellent  that  was 
ever  wrote  upon  the  subject. 

4* 


60  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

Yet  he  was  exceeding  far  from  taking  any 
superiority  upon  him,  from  needlessly  engaging 
in  any  dispute,  and  from  setting  himself  up  as 
a  judge  over  others,  or  desiring  that  they  should 
follow  his  sentiments. 

Father  Antonio  Arias  and  some  others,  dis- 
puting one  day  concerning  these  words  in  the 
Revelation,  (chap.  21,  ver.  ],)  "I  saw  a  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth,"  whether  they  were 
to  be  taken  literally  or  not?  When  all  had 
spoken,  Lopez  only  said,  "  When  we  are 
there,  we  shall  see  what  will  be  there." 

He  knew  with  all  the  clearness  which  could 
be  drav/n  from  the  scripture  and  other  histo- 
ries, all  that  passed  from  the  creation  to  Noah  ; 
and  he  recited  all  the  generations,  their  degrees 
of  kindred  to  each  other,  their  several  ages,  and 
the  times  when  they  lived,  with  as  much  ex- 
actness, as  ifhe  had  the  Bible  before  him,  and 
was  reading  them  out  of  the  book. 

Nor  was  he  ignorant  of  the  history  of  other 
people  ;  but  if  occasion  offered,  could  tell  with 
the  utmost  accuracy  (so  far  as  any  records  re- 
main,) what  were  their  manners,  their  cus- 
toms, and  the  arts  which  they  had  invented. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      61 

The  same  knowledge  he  had  of  what  passed 
from  Noah  to  Christ,  and  spake  of  those  times 
as  if  they  had  been  present  to  him.  He  refer- 
red all  profane  histories  to  the  sacred  ;  knew 
the  wars  and  events  which  had  occurred  in  any 
nation,  to  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  spoke 
of  them  as  clearly  as  he  could  have  done  of  the 
things  of  his  own  times. 

He  was  a  thorough  master  of  all  ecclesiasti- 
cal history,  since  the  birth  of  Christ ;  as  like- 
wise of  all  the  Emperors,  to  Philip  II.,  in 
whose  reign  he  died. 

He  was  equally  skilled  in  profane  history, 
ancient  as  well  as  modern.  He  drew  up  a 
chronology  from  the  creation  of  the  world,  to 
the  pontificate  of  Clement  VIIL,  so  exact, 
though  short,  that  all  remarkable  incidents,whe- 
ther  ecclesiastical  or  secular,  were  set  dowii 
therein. 

But  this  knowledge  was  not  limited  to  his- 
tory. He  was  so  knowing  in  astronomy, 
cosmography,  and  geography,  that  it  seemed  as 
if  he  had  himself  measured  the  heavens,  the 
earth,  and  the  sea.  He  had  a  globe  and  a 
general  map  of  the  world,  made  by  his  own 
hand ;  so  just,  that  I  have  seen  it  admired  by 


62  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

persons  deeply  skilled  in  the  science  ;  and  he 
was  so  ready  herein,  that  the  Marquis  of  Sali- 
nas having  sent  him  a  very  large  one,  he  ob- 
served in  it  several  mistakes,  corrected  them, 
and  gave  his  reasons  for  it,  and  sent  it  back. 

He  had  so  particular  a  knowledge  of  na  ■ 
tions,  provinces,  and  the  customs  of  them,  that 
he  could  tell  punctually  where  every  coun- 
try was,  and  in  what  degree  of  latitude  ;  their 
cities,  their  rivers,  their  isles ;  the  plants  and 
animals  which  were  peculiar  to  them — of  all 
which  he  spoke  as  knowing  what  he  said,  yet 
without  that  arrogance  which  usually  attends 
knowledge  ;  because  his,  coming  from  heaven, 
was  not  sullied  with  the  defects  of  that  which 
is  acquired  in  the  world. 

He  was  well  acquainted  with  anatomy, 
and  several  times  made  many  curious  re- 
marks in  that  kind,  which  gave  me  reason  to 
admire  the  ^yisdom  of  God,  in  the  human 
frame,  and  to  own  that  we  are  fearfully  and 
wonderfully  made. 

He  was  no  less  acquainted  with  the  art  of 
medicine ;  insomuch  that  he  wrote  (as  was 
mentioned  before)  a  book  of  excellent  recipes, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      63 

cheap  and  easy  to  be  procured  ;  and  God 
blessed  them  with  remarkable  success. 

He  was  an  excellent  botanist ;  he  not  only 
knew  the  quality  of  plants,  and  for  what  dis- 
eases they  were  proper,  but  likewise  how  those 
qualities  might  be  altered,  by  mixing  or  infu- 
sing them  with  various  liquors.  I  have  seen 
and  proved  that  he  hath  by  this  means  made 
them  quite  different  from  what  they  were  be- 
fore. He  told  me,  if  he  knew  any  good  and 
skilful  man,  he  would  willingly  give  him  these 
recipes — but  that  otherwise  they  must  die  with 
him,  lest  they  should  be  applied  to  a  bad  use. 

He  wrote  several  hands  perfectly  well,  as 
may  still  be  seen,  particularly  in  the  map  of 
the  world  ;  all  the  writing  whereof  one  would 
imagine  to  be  print,  the  strokes  are  so  elegant, 
bold  and  strong. 

But  all  this  knowledge  did  not  for  a  moment 
divert  his  mind  from  the  one  thing  needful. 
When  I  asked  him,  one  day,  whether  none  of 
these  things  ever  gave  him  any  distraction  ? 
He  replied,  "I  find  God  alike  in  httle  things 
and  in  great."  God  being  the  continual  object 
of  his  attention,  he  saw  all  things  only  in  God. 


CHAPTER   X. 


His  skill  in  directing  others. 

As  God  had  given  Lopez  peculiar  know- 
ledge in  the  Holy  Scripture,  so  he  instructed 
him  likewise  in  an  admirable  manner,  both  to 
walk  in  the  strait  path  to  heaven  himself,  and 
to  guide  others. 

He  saw  spiritual  things  with  the  eyes  of  his 
soul  as  clearly  as  outward  things  with  those  of 
his  body,  and  had  an  amazing  accuracy  in  dis- 
tinguishing what  Was  of  grace  from  what  was 
of  nature ;  and  that  not  only  with  regard  to 
himself,  but  those  also  who  consulted  him  in 
their  doubts  and  difficulties.  Several  persons 
speaking  before  him,  of  helps  to  prayer,  one 
said,  "  That  the  best  help  of  all  was  music, 
and  that  he  had  never  found  so  much  sweet- 
ness and  peace  in  prayer,  as  in  the  cathedral 
service  at  Mexico." 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      65 

Another  said,  "It  is  much  better  to  pray 
with  others,  and  much  easier  than  to  pray- 
alone,"  to  which  Lopez  said  not  one  word. 
When  they  were  gone,  I  asked,  why  he  said 
nothing  to  them  ?  He  answered,  "  I  would 
not  condemn  that  conduct  of  theirs,  which 
serves  them  as  a  staff  to  walk  a  little  ;  if  you 
was  to  take  it  away,  they  would  not  walk  at 
all." 

God  had  given  him  so  clear  a  discernment 
of  words  and  thoughts,  that  he  readily  distin- 
guished, those  that  were  useful  and  those  that 
were  not ;  such  as  came  from  God,  and  those 
that  came  from  nature — upon  which  he  was 
accustomed  to  say,  "  It  was  not  the  love  of 
God,  but  the  love  of  themselves,  which  made 
them  speak  of  God."  He  said  also,  "  As  the 
love  of  God  is  all  action,  it  talks  little,  and 
often  not  at  all."  It  was  from  this  light  and 
quick  discernment,  his  extreme  circumspec- 
tion in  all  his  words  proceeded. 

The  same  light  freed  him  from  all  scruple, 
and  kept  his  soul  in  admirable  tranquillity  ;  so 
that  whatsoever  attempts  Satan  made  upon  his 
soul,  he  never  had  any  doubts  of  any  kind. 

Many  knowing  and  spiritual  men  came  to 


66  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

St.  Foy,  to  consult  him  touching  their  inward 
conduct  :  and  he  cleared  all  their  doubts  with 
so  much  ease,  that  they  returned  entirely  satis- 
fied. That  which  I  admired,  was  the  incredi- 
ble brevity  with  which  he  answered  them  ;  and 
that  those  few  words  were  sufficient  to  remove 
so  great  difficulties,  so  that  they  seemed  to  be, 
as  it  were,  rays  of  light,  which  penetrated  and 
enhghtened  their  spirit ;  sparks  which,  pro- 
ceeding from  the  love  that  burned  in  his  heart, 
inflamed  their  hearts  with  the  same  love  of 
God. 

One  consulting  him,  who  was  in  great  trou- 
ble of  mind,  was  eased  at  once  by  his  speaking 
those  words — "  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  gold  tried 
in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich."  Another, 
under  strong  temptation,  was  delivered  by  his 
uttering  only  that  text,  "  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  sufFereth  violence,  and  the  violent  take 
it  by  force." 

To  many,  who  inquired  what  they  should  do 
to  please  God,  he  gave  only  this  answer,  "  Do 
what  you  do  now,  out  of  love  to  God,  and  it 
will  be  sufficient." 

To  persons  of  letters,  judges  and  men  of  bu- 
siness, he  often  said,  "  Change  your  intention, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      67 

and  you  will  do  well  enough."  One  desiring 
of  him  a  rule  for  prayer,  he  gave  him  this  an- 
swer in  writing  :  ''  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  is 
an  admirable  master,  who  can  instruct  you  how 
to  pray ;  and  all  prayer  is  included  in  his 
prayer ;  but  that  you  may  not  complain  that  I 
refuse  your  request,  I  will  tell  you,  you  need 
only  say  these  few  words — '0  Lord,  my  God, 
enlighten  my  soul,  that  I  may  know  thee,  and 
that  I  may  love  thee  with  my  whole  heart.' " 

But  when  persons  came  to  him  out  of  curi- 
osity, not  a  real  desire  to  serve  God,  he  gave 
them  no  other  answer  than  this  :  *'  There  are 
teachers  in  the  church."  And  Antonio  de 
Avila  coming  out  of  curiosity,  and  with  a  design 
to  dispute  with  him,  Lopez,  as  if  seeing  his 
heart,  answered  him  at  the  first  v/ord,  *'  I  do 
not  dispute  ;  neither  do  I  know  any  thing  but 
what  God  teaches  me.  Therefore,  you  are 
come  hither  in  vain." 

After  that,  it  pleased  our  Lord  to  make 
known  the  graces  which  he  had  given  his  ser- 
vant— men  saw  clearly  what  gift  he  had  re- 
ceived for  guiding  those  w4io  came  to  him  in 
their  doubts  and  troubles.  They  were  ravish- 
ed to  see  the  light  which  he  had  received  from 


68      THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

God ;  they  were  charmed  with  the  sweetness 
of  his  carriage  ;  they  respected  him  as  a  divine 
spirit,  inclosed  in  a  mortal  body ;  they  were 
persuaded  that  God  himself  instructed  him, 
in  all  his  actions,  and  all  his  answers  he  gave. 
They  came  to  consult  him  as  an  oracle  from 
heaven,  as  a  prodigy  of  holiness.  He  fully 
satisfied  all  the  doubts  that  were  proposed  to 
him  ;  he  instructed  -every  one  in  the  manner 
wherein  he  should  behave  in  his  profession. 
None  were  so  afflicted  but  he  comforted  them  ; 
imprinted  on  the  spirit  of  all  to  whom  he  spake, 
an  ardent  desire  of  holiness.  His  words  were 
all  words  of  fire,  and  inflamed  the  heart  with 
the  love  of  God.  None  went  from  him  without 
feeling  himself  comforted  and  strengthened. 

In  the  year  1579,  Father  Francis  Losa,  (who 
wrote  the  preceding  and  following  parts  of  his 
life)  being  then  Rector  of  the  largest  parish  of 
Mexico,  asked  Lopez  whether  he  should  not 
retire  from  the  city,  and  live  in  some  solitude 
as  a  hermit  ?  He  answered,  "Remain  this  year 
a  hermit  at  Mexico."  Losa  returned  thither, 
and  his  whole  manner  of  life  was  entirely 
changed.  Whenever  he  went  through  the  city, 
whether  to  collect  or  distribute  charity,  he  felt 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      69 

an  inward  recollection  and  prayer,  which  not 
all  the  noise  and  hurry  of  the  city  could  inter- 
rupt. As  if  he  had  been  fifty  years  in  that  holy 
exercise,  he  found  himself  a  new  man.  Having 
lost,  in  a  moment,  all  thoughts  of  earth,  and 
being  filled  with  heaven  alone,  he  renounced 
all  compliments,  visits  of  form,  and  needless 
conversation  ;  and  his  only  joy  w^as,  to  retire 
into  himself,  and  treat  with  God  upon  the  af- 
fairs of  salvation.  He  began  to  walk  alone, 
unless  he  was  obliged  to  go  with  any  one  on  a 
work  of  charity ;  and  the  multitude  of  people 
whom  he  met,  no  more  disturbed  his  attention 
to  God,  than  if  they  had  been  rocks  and  trees. 
He  immediately  gave  to  the  poor  all  his  goods  ; 
he  renounced  all  the  pleasures  of  life  ;  he  dis- 
missed all  his  servants,  and  employed  all  the 
rest  of  his  days  in  serving  God  and  his  neigh- 
bor. He  gave  away  upwards  of  six  thousand 
ducats,  and  resolved  to  give  up  two  thousand 
of  his  yearly  income.  He  entered  upon  a 
course  of  rigorous  fasting ;  meantime  he  was 
exercised  with  more  violent  temptations,  both 
inward  and  outward,  than  ever  he  had  had  ;  but 
in. all  this  he  was  more  than  conqueror. 


70  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

At  the  end  of  the  year,  he  went  to  Lopez 
again  ;  and,  after  having  given  him  an  account 
of  all  his  life,  he  said,  the  year  is  expired  ; 
what  shall  I  do  now  ?  Lopez  replied,  "  Love 
God  and  your  neighbor," 

In  return  to  Mexico,  Losa  began  to  think  on 
these  words  ;  but  he  thought  he  had  thoroughly 
practiced  them  already,  and  accordingly  found 
some  repugnance  in  himself  to  the  advice 
which  Lopez  had  now  given  him.  But,  remem- 
bering what  advantage  he  had  reaped  from  his 
first  advice,  he  presently  humbled  himself,  be- 
lieving these  words  contained  much  more  than 
he  had  at  first  imagined.  He  besought  God  to 
shew  him  the  full  meaning  of  them,  and  to  par- 
don his  pride.  Immediately  he  heard  a  voice 
in  his  inmost  soul,  *'  Before  thou  canst  love 
God,  thou  must  renounce  thyself,  and  die  to 
all  the  things  in  the  world."  He  offered  him- 
self to  God  for  this  with  all  his  heart,  and 
prayed  the  divine  majesty  to  work  this  in 
him  ;  and  in  the  instant  he  found  it  in  himself, 
and  was  so  penetrated  with  his  love,  that,  his 
vmderstanding  not  being  able  to  comprehend, 
nor  his  heart  to  contain  so  great  a  favor,  he  felt 
his  bodily  strength  taken  awav,   and  thought 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      71 

that  he  should  have  fallen  from  his  horse.  Thus 
he  found  the  excellence  of  the  advice  Lopez 
had  given  him,  and  the  efficacy  of  his  prayer. 

So  great  a  favor  produced  great  effects.  For 
he  continued  six  years  in  the  same  fervor  of 
love,  experiencing  all  the  Christian  graces,  and 
enjoying  all  the  fruits  of  the  spirit.  And  these 
were  his  support  for  forty  years  after,  in  all  the 
labor  and  pains  which  he  had  to  suffer  ;  so  that 
nothing  could  move  him  from  his  resolution, 
in  following,  in  all  things,  the  will  and  guidance 
of  God." 

It  was  in  pursuance  of  this  that  he  quitted 
Mexico,  and  came  to  live  wholly  with  Lopez. 
The  first  night  he  spent  there,  he  was  in  vio- 
lent temptations,  which  he  mentioned  to  Lopez 
in  the  morning,  who  replied,  "  I  forgot  you 
last  night ;  it  shall  be  so  no  more."  And,  in 
fact,  the  following  nights  he  had  no  such  trou- 
ble, but  found  his  heart  calmly  staid  on  God. 

He  remained  with  Lopez  seven  years  in  the 
little  house  at  St.  Foy,  whom  he  eased  of  all 
care  concerning  temporals,  having  a  small  sal- 
ary for  taking  care  of  a  chapel  in  the  hospital, 
which  was  sufficient  for  them  both.  After  his 
death,  lie  continued   there  twenty  years,  em- 


72  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

ployed  in  the  same  private  exercises,  and  in 
assisting  the  poor  Indians,  who  had  received 
the  faith,  in  all  things  pertaining  to  conscience. 
In  the  year  1612,  sixteen  years  after  the 
death  of  Lopez,,  he  wrote  his  hfe,  and  dedicated 
it  to  the  Marquis  of  Salinas,  being  himself  at 
that  time  eighty-four  years  old^  as  appears  by 
the  deposition  which  he  made  in  1 6^0, 


CHAPTER   XI 


His  government  of  his  tongue,  and  his  pnidence. 

If  any  man  offend  not  in  word,  saitb  St. 
James,  the  same  is  a  perfect  man.  We  may- 
then  pronounce  Lopez  a  perfect  man  ;  for  all 
the  eighteen  years  that  I  lived  in  the  strictest 
intimacy  with  him,  though  I  narrowly  observed 
him,  I  never  heard  him  speak  one  single  word 
that  could  be  reproved. 

He  never  spoke  evil  of  any  man — no,  not  of 
a  heretic  or  a  pagan.  He  was  occasionally 
speaking  one  day  of  an  Emperor,  who  would 
*'  eat  meat  fresh  killed  when  he  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  and  fishes  whicli  had  been 
alive  just  before,  when  he  was  in  the  most  in- 
land country."  I  said,  "  That  was  Heliogaba- 
lus."  He  replied,  "  It  is  enough  to  condemn 
the  action,  without  naming  him  that  did  it." 

When  he  was  told  that  certain  persons  spoke 
evil  of  him,  he  heard  it  without  emotion,  and 
said,   first,  "  We  ought  to  believe  they  had  a 


74  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

good  intention  :"  and,  after  a  wliile,  '*  accord- 
ing to  what  they  have  heard  said  of  me,  they 
have  reason  to  judge  of  me  as  they  do."  He 
strove  not  only  to  excuse  the  persons,  but  hke- 
wise  (as  far  as  truth  would  bear)  the  action, 
without  ever  attempting  to  justify  himself.  And 
when  he  could  not  excuse  them,  he  readily 
shifted  the  discourse  to  another  subject. 

His  conversation  was  always  of  things  useful 
and  spiritual,  meet  to  minister  grace  to  the 
hearers.  His  manner  of  speaking  was  sweet, 
civil,  and  invariably  serious  and  equal.  The 
tone  of  his  voice  was  not  high,  but  agreeable  ; 
he  was  a  perfect  master  of  pronunciation;  his 
discourses  continually  gained  the  hearts  of  those 
that  heard  them,  and  were  delivered  with  such 
modesty  as  well  as  majesty,  as  made  him  ap- 
pear a  kind  of  heavenly  man. 

I  never  observed,  that  either  the  beauty  of 
heaven,  the  stars,  or  of  the  most  green  or  flow- 
ery fields,  or  of  the  clearest  fountains  or 
streams,  or  the  visits  of  any  person  whatever, 
whether  at  table  or  after,  occasioned  his  speak- 
ing one  idle  word  :  I  do  not  mean,  a  light  or 
trifling  word ;  this  would  have  been  an  utter 
contradiction  to  his  whole  manner  of  life  ;  but 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      75 

'even  an  unnecessary  word  :  for  he  measured 
his  words  so  well,  that  he  spoke  no  more  than 
was  needful  to  make  himself  understood,  and 
he  never  exaggerated  any  thing. 

As  excellently  skilled  as  he  was  in  all  the 
^arts  and  sciences,  yet  even  when  he  was 
among  men  of  learning,  and  they  were  talking 
on  those  heads,  he  never  opened  his  mouth, 
unless  the  discourse  was  addressed  to  him. 
And  even  when  he  spoke  of  the  things  of  God, 
as  deep  as  his  answers  were,  they  were  ex- 
pressed in  the  most  simple  terms  ;  because  he 
retrenched  whatever  would  have  been  super- 
fluous in  them,  and  was  content  with  satisfying 
the  demands  and  needs  of  his  neighbors. 

One  day,  standing  at  the  window,  I  said  to 
him,  *'  See  how  hard  it  rains  !"  Instantly  a 
flash  of  lightning  struck  my  hand,  and  made  it 
smart  exceedingly  :  I  told  him  of  it,  and  he  re- 
plied, "  You  are  paid  as  you  deserve  for  your 
idle  words^;  did  I  not  see  myself  how  hard  it 
rained  ?" 

Upon  his  telling  me,  one  day,  a  thing  of 
great  importance,  I  asked,  "  If  you  knew  this, 
why  did  you  not  tell  it  me  before  ?"     He  an- 

5* 


76  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

swered,  "  I  do  not  speak  all  that  I  know  ;  but 
only  all  that  is  necessary." 

He  was  as  sparing  of  words  in  wailing  as  in 
speaking.  He  never  wrote  first  to  any  one,  nor 
did  he  answer  others,  but  when  either  necessity 
or  charity  obliged  him  to  it ;  and  then  so  pre- 
cisely, and  in  so  few  words,  that  nothing  could 
be  retrenched.  I  have  several  of  his  letters  in 
my  hands,  of  five  or  six  Hnes  each,  or  less  ; 
some  of  them  were  wrote  to  Don  Lewis  de 
Valescoj  our  Viceroy,  in  answer  to  those  he 
had  received  from  him  ;  one  of  them  contained 
only  these  words^  "  I  will  do  what  you  com- 
mand me."  And  although  this  manner  of 
writing  might  seem  disrespectful  to  persons  of 
so  high  a  quality,  yet  it  gave  no  offence  from 
one  who  was  so  far  from  all  compliment,  and 
who  never  spoke  any  thing  superfluous. 

But  when  the  honor  of  God  was  concerned^ 
the  truth  of  the  scripture,  or  the  good  of  his 
neighbor,  if  others  did  not,  he  spoke  without 
asking,  and  that  largely,  if  the  cause  so  re- 
quired. For  example — if  any  one  in  tempta- 
tion, or  great  affliction,  began  to  complain  of 
God,  it  was  amazing  to  hear  with  what  strength 
of  piety  he  spoke  to  convince  them  of  their  mis 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      77 

take,  ignorance  and  weakness  ;  of  the  depth  of 
the  wisdom  and  mercy  of  God,  hid  from  ihe 
eyes  of  men  in  their  afflictions,  and  of  their 
obligations  to  abandon  themselves  to  his  con- 
duct, and  to  throw  themselves  wholly  into  his 
hands. 

He  heard,  at  all  times,  with  attention,  what- 
ever questions  were  proposed  to  him  ;  and  he 
either  answered  them  or  not,  as  he  judged  it 
his  duty.  One  of  a  religious  order  came  to  see 
him,  and  desired  me  to  bring  it  about,  that  he 
might  talk  of  God.  I  did  ;  and  he  began  a 
large,  -pompous  discourse.  Observing  Lopez 
to  make  no  answer,  I  desired  him,  by  a  private 
sign,  to  say  something  on  the  head.  He  an- 
swered me  softly,  that  the  doctor  might  not 
hear,  "My  silence  will  edify  more  than  my 
wordso  When  he  went  away,  I  asked  him 
what  he  thought  of  Lopez  ?  He  answered,  "  I 
esteem  his  silence  much."  Lopez  said  to  me 
after,  "  I  see  that  many  talk  well ;  but  let  us 
Hve  well." 

He  was  used  with  much  earnestness  to 
plead  the  cause  of  princes,  governors,  and  ma- 
gistrates. To  those  who  found  fault  with 
them,  he   often  said,  ''If  you  were  in  their 


78  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

place,  perhaps  you  would  not  do  as  well  as 
they;  and  who  gave  you  authority  to  judge 
them?"  If  they  still  insisted,  "  They  were  to 
blame ;"  he  answered,  "  Then  you  ought  to 
speak  it  to  them ;  it  is  useless  to  speak  of  it 
here." 

If  persons  who  passed  for  religious,  spoke 
evil  of  any  one,  he  told  them,  "  I  cannot  be- 
lieve that  any  can  be  truly  religious,  who  set 
themselves  up  for  judges  of  the  actions  of 
others,  and  who  speak  to  their  disadvantage." 
On  these  occasions,  his  usual  words  were, 
"  This  is  not  the  place  to  remedy  this  ;  it  is 
not  the  business  here." 

A  person  of  authority  speaking  of  the  king's 
manner  of  governing,  he  said,  "  There  is  not  a 
man  in  Spain  of  more  abiUty  than  the  king  : 
and  are  you  more  able  than  he  ?"  He  stood 
reproved,  and  spoke  no  more. 


CHAPTER  Xli 


His  patience  and  humility. 

He  never  mentioned  to  any  one  the  pains  he 
endured,  nor  sought  consolation  of  any  crea- 
ture—only, sometimes,  when  he  thought  it 
might  be  of  use  to  his  neighbor,  totell  what  had 
befallen  himself  :  but  nothing  that  befel  him 
could  ever  disturb  his  recollection  of  mind* 
And  that  equality  of  spirit  which  he  continually 
preserved,  plainly  shewed  that  he  was  raised 
above  all  human  things,  and  entirely  possessed 
with  the  thought  of  things  alcove,  without  ever 
losing  sight  of  them. 

Although  he  frequently  suffered  great  pain 
at  his  stomach,  and  violent  cholics,  he  never 
made  any  complaint,  nor  indeed  any  shew  of 
them  :  I  found  it  out  only  by  his  unusual  weak- 
ness, and  not  being  able  to  eat.  Observing 
this  one  day  in  particular,  I  asked  him,  "What 
is  the  matter  ?"     He  answered,  '*  I  have  had 


80      THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ, 

a  violent  cholic  for  fifteen  days,  without  inter- 
mission." 

He  had  a  fever  often  ;  and  he  cured  it  by 
fasting,  three,  four,  or  five  days.  But  how 
ill  soever  he  was  of  any  of  these  disorders,  he 
never  would  keep  his  bed. 

While  he  was  at  St.  Foy,  he  had  the  tooth- 
ache for  almost  a  year  together ;  but  I  did  not 
perceive  it  by  any  outward  sign,  only  that  twice 
he  used  some  herbs,  which  he  knew  to  be  good 
for  it,  and  that  sometimes  it  was  so  violent 
that  he  could  not  eat. 

He  was  accustomed  to  say  on  this  occasion, 
"  We  ought  not  to  desire  sufferings,  but  to  en- 
dure them  valiantly  when  they  come."  And 
this  he  so  steadily  practiced,  that  one  might 
have  imagined  he  did  not  feel  them — as  I  re- 
marked from  the  very  day  that  I  sawhim  first. 
Men  naturally  desire  to  be  thought  better 
than  they  are  ;  but  Lopez  was  so  far  from  this, 
that  he  always  esteemed  himself  less  than 
others,  and  I  have  heard  him  say  more  than 
once,  "  For  many  years  I  have  judged  no 
man  ;  I  have  believed  all  to  be  wiser  and  better 
than  me.  I  have  not  pretended  to  set  myself 
up  above  others,  or  to  assume  any  authority 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      81 

over  others."  And  hence  he  easily  excused 
them  who  judged  ill  of  himself.  When  I  told 
him,  one  day,  that  many  had  spoken  evil  of 
him,  he  answ^ered,  "  I  excuse  them  not  only 
with  my  lips,  but  with  all  my  heart." 

Hence,  also,  it  was,  that  he  did  not  desire 
that  others  should  embrace  his  sentiments,  and 
that  he  did  not  study  to  express  them  in  such  a 
manner  as  might  recommend  them  to  others. 
On  which  he  told  me,  one  day,  "  I  knew  a 
man  once,  who  diligently  studied  what  he  had 
to  say,  and  he  had  no  opportunity  of  say- 
ing it  at  all ;  which  taught  him  not  to  spend 
time  so  uselessly,  but  to  trust  in  God,  who  will 
not  fail  to  give  help  in  time  of  need." 

He  was  also  far  from  those  inquietudes 
which  arise  from  the  uncertainty  of  success  in 
our  undertakings ;  insomuch  as  seeking  only 
to  please  God,  he  considered  those  cares  as 
obstacles  to  his  design.  Accordingly,  he  was 
never  in  pain  for  the  event  of  things  ;  nor  did 
he  ever  lay  great  designs  beforehand,  even 
touching  the  service  of  God  and  his  neighbor. 
He  looked  upon  this  as  a  useless  way  of  spend- 
ing time,  and  was  always  for  employing  the 
present  moment.     As  he  was  always  on  his 


82  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

guard,  if  a  thought  of  tliis  kind  came  at  any 
time  into  his  mind,  he  checked  it  immediately 
by  saying,  "  I  am  nothing,  1  am  good  for 
nothing."  He  was  content  to  observe  the  law 
of  God,  without  thinking  himself  worthy  to  see 
into  futurity,  although  he  was  always  prepared 
to  do  whatever  the  Divine  Majesty  should  call 
him  to. 

He  was  so  far  from  all  desire,  that  he  has 
sometimes  said  to  me,  ''Ever  since  I  came  to 
New  Spain,  I  have  never  desired  to  see  any 
thing  in  this  world,  not  even  my  relations, 
friends,  or  country."  He  never  desired 
to  see  angels  or  visions.  "I  only  desire," 
said  he,  "  to  see  God."  And  even  in  this,  he 
was  wholly  resigned  to  his  will,  as  to  the  time 
and  manned  of  it.  To  which  he  added,  that 
the  raptures  and  extasies  which  he  had  in  this 
life,  were  only  to  unite  him  to  God,  and  to  coiur 
fort  him-,  and  to  conform  him  more  and  more  to 
his  holy  will,  that  he  might  obey  him  in  all 
things. 

The  moment  he  came  to  the  Valley  of  Ama- 
jac,  he  kneeled  down  upon  the  ground,  and 
taking  his  disciphne,  began  to  chastise  his 
body  ;  but  his  Divine  Captain,  whose  wisdom 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      83 

is  infinite,  suffered  him  not  to  go  on — he  spoke 
these  words  to  his  heart :  "  Another  shall  gird 
thee  and  carry  thee  where  thou  wouldst  not" — 
giving  him  to  understand  that  he  was  not  to 
choose  for  himself,  but  God  would  discipline 
him  according  to  his  own  good  pleasure. 

He  began  by  exercising  him  with  inward 
trials,  and  those  so  painful,  that  he  had  need  of 
all  patience  to  suifer  them.  He  has  told  me 
he  could  not  think  of  them  without  trembling  ; 
but  that  he  had  never  told  the  particulars  to 
any  one.  Yet  it  was  easy  to  judge  from  his 
advice  to  others  in  their  trials,  that  he  had  ex- 
perienced the  same  himself;  he  answered 
them  so  exactly,  as  he  could  not  have  done,  if 
he  had  not  spoken  by  experience. 

Other  sufferings  he  had  from  the  prince  of 
darkness — who,  knowing  faith  to  be  the  foun- 
dation of  all  good  graces,  was  continually  stri- 
ving to  throw  doubts  or  blasphemous  thoughts 
into  his  soul ;  but  his  lowliness  and  firm  confi- 
dence in  God,  as  often  as  they  returned,  put 
them  to  flight. 

And  he  was  no  less  eminent  in  denying  him- 
self, than  in  taking  up  and  bearing  his  cross. 
From  his  first  retiring,  he  resolved  to  eat  noth- 


84  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  L0PE2, 

ing  to  please  his  taste,  but  only  to  sustain  Hie, 
And  this  he  observed  very  religiously,  even  to 
his  death,  that  when  he  was  pressed  to  eat  even 
some  melow,  or  raisins,  or  figs,  he  only  smelt 
the  melow,  and  said,  "  This  is  enough  for  this 
year." 

On  my  telling  him  once,  "  You  take  no  rest, 
and  you  can  take  none  in  the  way  you  go,"  he 
replied,  Avith  a  calm  and  cheerful  countenance, 
"  It  is  true,  I  cannot  take  any  rest,  while  my 
brethren  are  engaged  in  so  many  labors  and 
dangers  ;  because  it  is  not  just,  that  I  should 
think  of  rest,  as  long  as  they  are  exposed  to 
those  hazards.  God  keep  me  from  giving  way 
to  such  sloth  !  If  but  one  of  them  is  in  dan- 
ger, that  is  enough  for  me  to  continue  to  pray 
without  ceasing  for  him." 

But  what  cost  him  the  most  pains  of  any 
thing  in  his  whole  life,  was,  always  to  follow 
the  grace  of  God,  as  none  can  follow  this  with- 
out renouncing  himself,  grace  so  often  demand- 
ing just  the  contrary  to  nature.  Accordingly^ 
it  was  his  continual  endeavor  to  die  to  all  cre- 
ated things,  and  to  combat  nature,  which  loves 
to  enjoy  them,  to  live  in  pleasure,  and  ease,  and 
honor.     He   desired  to  be  despised  like  his 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.  85 

Master.  He  studied  to  forget  all  temporal 
things,  and  thought  only  of  seeking  God,  and 
serving  him.  He  received,  with  constant  pa- 
tience, all  that  could  befal  him,  without  seek- 
ing any  satisfaction,  or  finding  any,  even  in  his 
virtues,  but  as  they  contributed  to  the  glory  of 
God,  to  whom  alone  his  heart  was  attached, 
forgetting  all  things  else.  He  had  so  great  a 
hunger  and  thirst  for  God,  that  no  creature 
could  satisfy  him.  After,  this  sovereign  good 
he  ran  without  ceasing,  in^  spite  of  all  his  incli- 
nations ;  and  this  agonizing  after  God,  is  a 
greater  cross,  and  a  heavier  self-denial,  than 
than  any  who  have  not  felt  it  can  conceive. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


His  Prayer. 

Several  things  give  me  reason  to  believe, 
that  Lopez  began  to  pray  from  the  time  he  be- 
gan to   reason ;  he  has  occasionally  told  me, 
*'  that  he  had   never  beeil  a  child  ;  and  that  he 
had  never  cast  one  look  backward  :"  whence 
one  may  easily  infer,  he  had  never  been  with- 
out prayer,  even  from  his  tender  years.    I  have 
likewise  heard  him  say,   ''  that  from  the  time 
he  came  to  Court,  he  prayed  continually  ;  and 
went  through  his  business  with  the   same  in- 
ward peace,   as  he   could  have  done  twenty 
years  after  :  and  that  neither  the  Noblemen  he 
met  in  the  way,   nor  the  noise  and  distractions 
of  the  Court  any  more  interrupted  his  prayer, 
than  if  he  had  been  in  a  cavern."     And  to  this 
he  was  brought  at  first,  not  by  the  fear  of  hell, 
but  God  always  led  him  by  love.     The  foun- 
dation of  all  his  devotion  was  Jesus  Chiist,  the 
only  door  whereby  we  can  come  to  God.  This 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      87 

he  has  often  told  us,  while  he  has  spoke  in  so 
affecting  a  manner  of  the  life  and  death  of  our 
Redeemer,  as  made  it  clearly  appear  how  well 
he  was  exercised  in  this  kind  of  meditation. 

The  first  prayer  wherein  he  was  employed 
in  his  little  cell,  (as  was  observed  before)  was 
contained  in  these  w^rds  :  "  Thy  will  be  done 
on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven :"  words  that  con- 
tained the  most  sublime  and  the  most  difficult 
doctrine  in  the  whole  spiritual  life  ;  for  they 
contain  a  fixed  resohition  to  do  all  that  God  re- 
quires, whether  temporal  or  spiritual  things, 
and  an  entire  submission  to  his  orders,  by  re- 
ceiving at  his  hand,  with  tranquillity  of  spirit, 
whatever  he  pleases,  how  rough  soever  it  might 
be  ;  because  the  will  of  God  being  our  sancti- 
fication,  we  ought  to  embrace  whatever  condu- 
ces to  it ;  and  to  this  end  obey  him  without 
recompence,  and  the  creatures  for  his  sake. 

This  is  the  way  to  be  always  in  the  presence 
of  God,  and  to  shovv'  our  love  to  him  by  our 
obedience. 

This  includes  all  true  mortification  in  all  our 
works,  all  our  affections,  all  our  desires  ;  for  it 
is  to  make  a  continual  sacrifice  to  God  of  our 


88  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

own  will,  and  to  have  no  end  but  to  fufill  his 
in  all  our  actions. 

By  this  exercise,  one  arrives  at  a  state  of 
uniformity,  that  is,  so  strict  an  union  of  our 
will  with  that  of  God,  that  ours  disappearing, 
we  have  no  will  but  his,  which  actuates,  guides 
and  governs  us. 

Lopez  has  told  me,  that  after  the  first  year, 
he  had  no  need  to  put  himself  in  remembrance 
of  his  prayer,  because  his  very  drawing  his 
breath  reminded  him  of  it  every  moment.  The 
effect  of  which  was,  that  he  was  continually 
raised  above  himself,  without  ever  having  a 
thought  about  worldly  things  ;  and  that  his  un- 
derstanding, memory,  and  will,  were  also  taken 
up  with  this  divine  exercise  ;  that  great  as  his 
temptations  were,  they  were  no  sooner  past 
than  he  had  forgotten  them. 

After  three  years,  God  led  him  to  practice 
another  lesson,  viz :  "  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy 
soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength  ;  and  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself."  And  he  now  employed  him- 
self with  the  same  application,  in  those  acts  of 
love,  as  he  had  done  before  in  those  of  resigna- 
tion :  insomuch  that  I  have  heard  him  say,  it 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.     89 

would  be  very  difficult  for  him  to  discontinue 
this  exercise  for  a  moment,  even  in  eating,  in 
talking,  or  in  any  other  employment,  whether 
of  body  or  mind. 

His  soul  being  in  this  situation,  he  applied 
himself  to  the  Holy  Scriptures  with  more  ap- 
plication than  ever  ;  in  this  he  spent  three  or 
four  hours  every  day  ;  and  the  love  which  filled 
his  heart,  gave  him  understanding  therein.  By 
this  means  also,  he  acquired  that  wonderful 
discretion  in  his  words,  that  prudence  and  wis- 
dom in  his  answers  and  counsels,  and  that  even- 
ness wherewith  he  loved  his  neighbor  as  him- 
self, and  sought  his  happiness  no  less  than  his 
own. 

Hence  likewise  proceeded  that  great  purity 
of  heart,  that  readiness  in  all  kind  of  prayer, 
that  entire  mortification  of  all  senses,  and  that 
constant  power  over  all  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness. 

I  have  talked  with  Lopez  (says  a  person  of 
eminent  piety)  sometimes  for  four  hours  to- 
gether, upon  spiritual  things,  and  from  what  I 
saw  and  remarked  in  him,  I  judged  him  to  be 
a  man  highly  favored.  His  soul  appeared  to 
be  disengaged  from   all  things  else,  by  a  pure 


90  THE    LIFE    OF   GREGORY   LOPE 55, 

union  with  God.  Him  he  always  enjoyed  in 
the  essence  of  his  soul,  where  the  Supreme 
Majesty  delights  to  dwell.  This  I  could  ea* 
sily  learn  during  an  acquaintance  of  seven 
years,  from  many  things  which  he  communi- 
cated to  me.  Hence  I  found  that  he  was  in  a 
continual  act  of  love  v/ilh  God ;  in  which  his 
soul,  freed  from  all  created  things,  was  inti- 
mately united  to  God ;  that  from  this  fountain 
flowed  all  the  graces  v/hich  it  pleased  our 
Lord  to  bestow  upon  him.  For  at  the  same 
time  that  he  received  this  pure,  uninterrupted 
love,  he  made  an  admirab^;  use  of  it  on  all  oc- 
casions, as  knowing  that  love  is  the  source, 
the  origin  and  mother  of  all  other  virtues ; 
which  God  continually  communicated  to  him, 
that  he  might  communicate  them  to  others,  and 
enrich  their  poverty  with  his  abundance.  I 
asked  him  once  "  if  he  had  any  particular  hours 
wherein  he  prayed  more  than  at  other  times  ? 
And  if  he  did  not  abate  something  of  his  pray- 
er in  his  employments  and  conversations  with 
his  neighbors  ?"  He  answered,  "  that  he  had 
no  particular  hours,  and  that  he  had  no  neces- 
sity for  them,  since  no  created  thing  was  capa- 
ble either  of  interrupting  or  abating  his  contin- 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.     91 

ual  love  to  God  and  his  neighbor.  That  so 
far  from  ever  drawing  back  in  this  union  v^^ith 
God,  he  advanced  in  it  continually,  referring 
to  God  by  this  simple  act  of  pure  love,  all  the 
graces  which  he  was  pleased  to  give  him, 
without  assuming  any  thing  to  himself :  that 
this  union  was  the  source  of  all  his  knowledge  ; 
and  that  accordingly  God  himself  was  his 
teacher,  and  not  his  books,  through  which  in- 
deed he  was  sometimes  taught." 

He  told  me  likewise,  **  God  had  shown  him 
there  was  then  the  greatest  union  between  God 
and  the  soul,  when  it  was  such  that  nothing 
interposed  between  them  ;  and  that  he  had  giv- 
en him  to  comprehend  what  sort  of  union  this 
was,  from  that  which  is  between  the  light  and 
the  air  :  for  these,  being  two  distinct  things, 
and  which  have  each  its  separate  subsistance, 
are  nevertheless  united,  that  God  alone  is  able 
to  divide  them.  How  much  closer  is  this  un- 
ion between  the  pure  essence  of  the  soul,  and 
him  who  is  an  infinitely  pm-e  spirit  ?" 

Asking  him  one  day,  "  What  would  you  have 

done,  if  you  had  been  a  priest  ?"     He  replied, 

"What  I  do  now."  "And  how,"  said  I,  "would 

you  have  prepared  yourself  to  celebrate  thebles- 
6 


92  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

sed  sacrament?"  He  answered,  "As  I  now  pre- 
pare myself  to  receive  it.  And  if  I  were  sure 
of  dying  in  a  few  hours,  I  would  do  no  other 
thing  than  I  do  now  ;  for  I  do  actually  offer  up 
to  God  all  that  is  in  my  power,  by  a  continual 
act  of  love.  And  can  do  nothing  more  till  he 
shall  enable  me  himself." 

He  told  me  farther,  "  Perfection  does  not 
consist  in  visions,  revelations,  ravishments,  and 
extasies ;  although  God  often  favors  his  ser- 
vants therewith,  because  he  acts  towards  every 
one,  according  to  his  capacity,  his  need,  and 
the  disposition  wherein  he  is.  But  souls  ac- 
customed to  acts  of  pure  love,  do  not  need  the 
suspension  of  their  senses,  in  order  to  have 
deep  communion  with  God,  because  these  do 
not  hinder  them  therein."  He  added,  "that 
he  had  never  had  any  revelations,  extasies,  or 
ravishments,  which  had  deprived  him  of  his 
senses  ;  nor  had  his  senses  ever  occasioned  in 
him  any  distraction  of  mind,  because  they  were 
perfectly  spirituahzed,  entirely  subject  to  his 
reason,  and  conformable  to  the  will  of  God." 

Continuing  the  discourse,  "  I  knew  a  man," 
said  he,  (by  whom  I  was  assured  he  meant 
himself,)   "who  for  six  and  thirty  years  never 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.     93 

discontinued,  for  one  single  moment,  to  make 
with  all  his  strength,  an  act  of  pure  love  to 
God." 

At  another  time  I  spake  of  some  who  ac- 
quired great  inward  peace  by  a  passive  union 
with  God,  and  by  a  love  which  made  them  con- 
tinually taste  the  grace  which  God  communi- 
cated to  them.  He  answered,  "  Such  souls 
are  happy  and  walk  in  a  good  path.  But  yet 
the  perfection  is  not  so  great  in  this  state 
wherein  one  enjoys  these  sweetnesses,  as  in 
that  wherein  we  labor  with  all  our  might,  to 
love  God  in  the  most  perfect  manner  we  can 
possibly ;  because  in  the  latter  state,  we  act, 
rather  than  enjoy  ;  whereas  in  the  former,  we 
rather  enjoy  than  act.  For  a  soul  that  perfect- 
ly loves  God,  can  only  give  him  what  he  gives 
first.  And  he  requires  no  more  ;  inasmuch  as 
this  is  all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 
6* 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


His  Union  with  God,  and  the  Fruits  thereof. 

I  a^ked  him  one  day,  whether  his  not  using 
a  hat,  was  because  he  was  always  in  the  pre- 
sence of  God  ?  He  answered  "No:  my  un- 
ion with  God  being  in  my  inmost  soul,  does  not 
require  me  either  to  be  covered  or  uncovered; 
but  it  is,  that  I  may  want  as  few  things  as  pos- 
sible, and  that  I  may  not  make  my  body  deli- 
cate." 

Hence  proceeded  that  humility  which  he 
possessed  in  so  eminent  a  degree  ;  being  al- 
ways so  intimately  united  with  God,  he  had  a 
full  knowledge  of  God's  infinity,  and  his  own 
nothingness  ;  and  earnestly  desired  that  every 
one  should  consider  him  as  nothing,  and  God 
as  all. 

Hence  also  it  was,  that  he  received  whatever 
befell  him  from  men  with  such  patience  and 
tranquiUity  of  spirit,  that  he  readily  excused 


THt    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ.  95 

those  who  despised  or  spoke  evil  of  him,  and 
that  he  never  complained  of  any  one. 

From  the  same  fountain  proceeded  the  per- 
fect purity  both  of  his  body  and  soul.  For  the 
rays  of  divinity  fell  continually  upon  his  soul, 
as  those  of  the  sun  on  a  crystal  mirror.  By 
this  act  of  pure  love,  his  soul  was  transformed 
into  the  same  image.  And  what  purity  was 
thereby  communicated  even  to  the  body,  can 
hardly  be  conceived  in  this  life. 

Hence  sprung  that  purity  of  conscience 
also,  which  astonished  the  most  spiritual ;  as 
one  sees  by  his  own  words,  "  through  the  mer- 
cy of  God,  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  sinned 
in  any  thing."  And  upon  my  asking,  "  Is 
it  possible  for  any  one  to  remain  for  any 
time  without  committing  sin  ?"*  He  answered, 
^'  When  those  whom  God  has  enabled  to  love 


*Not  without  having  been  first  made  deeply  conscious 
of  its  universal  defilement — deep  repentance  under  that 
conviction — faith  to  believe  that  God  hath  taken  away 
thine  iniquity — and  profound  seriousness,  perpetual 
watchfulness,  humility,  and  faithfully  using  the  grace 
given  as  the  fruits  of  it.  Hence  those  peofDle  who  talk 
about  sanctification,  or  being  saved  from  sin,  and  bring 
not  forth  the  fruits  of  it,  we  do  not  believe  them.  "  He 
that  saith  he  (thus)  abideth  in  him,  ought  himself  also  so 
to  walk,  even  as  he  walked."  1  John,  ii.  6. 
6* 


96  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

him  with  all  their  soul,  do,  with  his  assistance, 
all  that  is  in  their  power,  and  that  with  deep 
humility,  it  is  possible  for  thenci  to  remain  with- 
out committing  sin  ;  as  clearly  appears,  in  that 
our  Lord,  who  commanded  nothing- which  was 
impossible  to  be  performed,  commanded  this, 
"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all 
thy  heart,  mind,  soul,  and  strength.  But  he 
who  does  this,  not  only  does  not  sin,  but  grows 
daily  in  all  holiness."  I  rephed,  "  But  how  can 
this  be,  when  the  Scripture  says,  '  The  just 
man  sins  seven  times  a  day'  ?  "*  He  answer- 
ed, "  This  could  not  be  taken  literally  ;  since 

*  The  gospel  does  not  say  that  a  man  cannot  live  with- 
out sin :  on  the  contrary,  St.  John  positively  declares — 
''Whosoever  is  born  of  God  does  not  commit  sin."  1 
John  iii.  9.  Christ  speaks  of  the  pure  in  heart  ;  the  good 
tree  which  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit ;  and  the  same 
Apostle,  of  being  cleansed  from  all  unrighteousness. 
And  can  that  heart  be  pure  where  sin  stiil  abides  !  Is 
not  sin  evil  fruit  1  And  can  any  sin  remain  in  the  heart 
which  is  cleansed  from  all  unrighteousness  1  Again 
Christ  declares  that  he  who  is  perfect  shall  be  as  his 
Master.  And  St.  John  says,  "  as  He  is,  so  are  we  in  this 
world."  John  iv.  17.  Finally,  St.  Paul  saith  that  "  love 
is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  If,  then,  a  man  is  cleansed 
from  all  unrighteousness,  and  filled  with  the  pure  love  of 
God — if  in  this  state  of  fellowship  with  God  he  uses  the 
strength  he  has  as  a  faithful  steward  thereof,  is  there  a 
greater  contradiction  in  the  world,  than  to  affirm  that  he 
must  daily  and  hourly  commit  it,  when  thus  free  from 
ill 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      97 

we  see  some  who  spend  not  only  one  day,  but 
many,  in  miinternipted  prayer,  and  in  one  con- 
tinued act  of  love  to  God." 

But  although  this  servant  of  God  was  con^ 
tinually  employed  in  this  act  of  love  to  God 
and  his  neighbor,  yet  he  had  likewise  other 
ways  of  praying,  which  did  not  hinder,  but  in^ 
crease  his  union  with  God. 

When  he  had  any  great  conflicts,  he  rejoiced 
to  sustain  them  for  love  to  God  ;  and  after  he 
had  conquered,  he  offered  all  that  he  had  suf- 
fered, as  a  sacrifice  to  him.  He  offered  him 
not  only  all  the  spoils  won  from  his  enemies^ 
but  the  gifts  and  graces  which  he  had  given 
him,  joined  with  fervent  prayer,  and  an  un- 
speakable sense  of  his  obligations  to  the  giver 
of  every  good  gift :  so  that  when  he  received 
any  new  grace  or  gift,  his  understanding  being 
more  enlightened,  and  his  heart  still  more  in- 
flamed with  love,instead  of  resting  on  those  gifts 
and  graces,  he  offered  them  to  God,  for  whom 
alone  he  loved  all  that  he  received  from  him. 

He  was  Hkewise  accustomed  to  offer  to  God 
the  life,  passion,  and  death,  of  our  Lord,  some- 
times in  behalf  of  all  the  world  ;  sometimes  of 
particular  persons.     He  told  me  one  day,  that 


98  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

"  he  frequently  practised  two  sorts  of  spiritual 
communion ;  the  one,  by  an  ardent  desire  of 
receiving  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Lord's  supper ; 
the  other  by  receiving  into  his  soul  the  Father, 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit ;  thus  becoming  a 
living,  pure  temple  of  the  ever-blessed  Trinity, 
actually  giving  them  an  abode  in  his  heart,  to 
dw^ell  and  rest  there  forever." 

He  prayed  earnestly  for  the  church — for  its 
increase,  and  for  the  propagation  of  the  true 
faith  through  all  nations  ;  and  for  all  sinners, 
that  they  might  offend  God  no  more,  but  might 
all  love  him  and  keep  his  commandments. 
What  he  asked  for  his  neighbors  with  the 
greatest  fervor,  was,  that  they  might  do  the 
v^all  of  God  as  it  is  in  heaven.  And  this  he 
did  on  all  occasions.  So  that  when  he  heard 
one  say,  "  The  king  was  extremely  reverenced 
because  of  his  power  and  justice,  and  that  he 
possessed  his  realms  in  peace  ;"  he  immedi- 
ately broke  out,  "  Lord,  thou  hast  all  justice, 
and  all  power  ;  let  all  men  reverence  thee ; 
and  possess  thou  thy  kingdom  over  all  the 
earth  in  peace,  throughout  all  ages  !  "  If  he 
lieard  of  a  father  whom  his  children  loved  for 
kis  goodness,  he  would  presently  say  to  God, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.      9^ 

"  Eternal  Father,  thou  art  the  source  of  all 
good  ;  let  thy  children  love  thee."  When  one 
mentioned  a  gardener,  who  took  great  care  to 
make  his  trees  bear  good  fruit,  he  said,  *'  Suf-* 
fer  not,  Lord,  any  of  thy  creatures  to  perish, 
but  make  them  all  bring  forth  good  fruit."  If 
he  heard  of  great  wars,  and  many  deaths,  he 
lifted  up  his  heart  to  God,  saying,  "  See,  Lord, 
the  miserable  state  of  thy  children,  and  my 
brethren,  whom  thou  commandest  me  to  love 
as  my  own  soul."  In  a  word,  there  was  noth- 
ing, either  good  or  evil,  which  did  not  furnish 
him  with  matter  for  prayer.  He  told  me  some- 
times, that  at  one  glance,  he  saw  in  God  all 
that  was  in  the  world.  Hence  one  may  judge 
how  sublime  his  prayer  was,  and  how  great  a 
resemblance  he  bore  to  God  ;  seeing  all  the 
world  was  present,  as  it  were,  in  epitome,  and 
in  his  understanding  ;  and  by  so  peculiar  a  gift 
he  reduced  all  to  one  point,  to  offer  it  to  God. 
He  was  extremely  desirous  that  every  chris- 
tian should  continue  to  pray,  even  in  outward 
works.  And  this  he  practised,  not  only  in  all 
he  did,  but  likewise  in  all  he  spoke.  For 
whenever  he  spoke,  either  in  asking  or  answer- 
ing any  thing,  he  lifted  up  his  heart  to  God, 


100  THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

and  prayed  for  his  assistance  and  blessing. 
Particularly,  whenever  he  had  a  desire  to  as- 
sist any  one  that  was  in  distress,  he  had  re- 
course to  God  by  ptayer.  By  this  it  was  that 
he  did  so  naany  surprising  things  ;  saying,  of- 
ten, *'it  was  much  better  to  treat  witii  God 
than  with  man." 

By  this  rneans  he  could  say,  with  the  strict- 
est truth,  "  1  live  not,  but  Christ  hveth  in  me." 
For  he  appeared  to  all  who  observed  him  with 
attention,  to  be  a  real  portraiture  of  Jesus 
Christ,  truly  crucified  in  him,  and  having  no 
affection  but  for  a  Hfe  wholly  divine.  Being 
in  a  manner  transformed  into  the  image  of 
Christ,  he  had  an  ardent  desire  to  follow  him, 
in  his  life,  in  his  labors,  and  in  his  sufferings, 
as  the  rtiost  perfect  pattern  that  can  ever  be 
set  before  us.  Therefore  he  had  no  rest  dur- 
ing his  whole  life,  but  was  laboring  and  suffer^ 
ing  incessantly. 

He  could  continually  testify,  "  To  live  i^ 
Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."  For  it  was  hi^ 
chief  joy  to  suffer  with  Jesus  Christ.  In  this 
he  gloried,  and  in  this  alone  ;  saying  with  the 
Apostle,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save 
in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     Him 


THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ.  101 

he  regarded  in  all  things,  as  the  only  model  by 
which  he  was  to  form  himself.  He  said  with 
David,  "  My  eyes  are  always  lifted  up  unto 
thee,  O  Lord."  He  was  accustomed  to  say, 
"The  eyes  of  a  wise  man  always  are  fixed  on 
Christ,  who  is  his  head  :  and  the  soul  that  is 
touched  with  the  love  of  God,  is  like  a  needle 
that  is  touched  with  the  load-stone,  which  al- 
ways points  to  the  North.  Thus,  in  whatever 
place  a  truly  spiritual  man  is,  and  in  whatever 
he  is  employed,  his  eyes  and  his  heart  are  al* 
ways  fixed  on  Jesus  Christ. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSTTY  OF  CAIJFORNTA' 
SANTA    PiAT^T^ArJA 


CHAPTER    XV 


His  last  sickness  arid  death. 

In  May,  1596,  he  began  to  iind  himself  out 
'of  order.  He  lost  his  appetite  entirely ;  nor 
'€ould  he  swallow  any  thing  but  liquids,  and 
that  not  without  much  difficulty.  A  few  days 
after,  he  fell  into  a  bloody  flux,  which  was  the 
more  dangerous,  because  he  was  so  extremely 
weak.  Seeing  the  concern  I  was  under,  he 
said,  "  My  Father,  now  is  God's  time" — 
meaning  the  time  of  shewing  by  facts  his  resig- 
nation and  conformity  to  the  divine  will,  ac- 
cording to  his  common  saying,  ''  True  resigna- 
tion consists  wholly  in  doing,  and  not  in  talk- 
ing." 

As  soon  as  his  sickness  was  known  at  the 
Hospital  in  Mexico,  the  Superior  of  the  Hospi- 
tal came  to  visit  him ;  and  believing  he  might 
want  one  to  attend  him,  he  brought  with  him 
brother   Pedro  de  Sarmiento.     When  he  was 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.  103 

come,  he  could  not  but  admire  his  patience 
and  tranquillity  of  spirit.  He  asked,  "  If  he 
should  not  leave  his  brother  to  attend  him  ?" 
He  replied,  with  his  usual  gravity  and  sweet- 
ness, *'  He  was  not  willing  to  deprive  the  hos- 
pital of  any  help,  which  perhaps  they  could 
not  spare  ;"  but  being  assured  they  could  spare 
him,  he  willingly  accepted  his  service.  He 
bore  his  illness  many  days  with  his  accustomed 
courage  and  patience,  never  complaining,  were 
his  pains  ever  so  great. 

On  the  24th  of  June,  I  thought  it  would  be 
well  to  give  him  the  Sacrament.  I  asked  him 
if  he  was  willing  to  receive  it.  He  answered, 
"  Yes,  and  particularly  on  St.  John  the  Bap- 
tist's Day,  for  whom  he  had  always  had  a  pecu- 
liar veneration."  I  then  gave  it  him  without 
delay,  fearing  lest  death  should  prevent,  as  he 
was  exceeding  weak,  and  received  scarce  any 
nourishment ;  besides  that,  he  had  an  extreme- 
ly troublesome  hiccup,  and  his  pulse  began  to 
intermit. 

His  hiccup  continuing,  he  said  to  brother 
Pedro,  *'  My  brother,  you  know  what  this  hic- 
cup means  ;"  intimating  thereby  that  his  death 
was  near. 


104  THE  LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ. 

This  day,  and  the  following  days,  his  illness 
increased  continually — notwithstanding  which, 
he  would  rise,  even  to  the  day  of  his  death,  and 
dress  himself  as  oft  as  his  distemper  required, 
although  he  might  have  avoided  that  extreme 
fatigue  by  accepting  the  services  of  others. 

He  grew  weaker  and  weaker  every  day,  and 
was  not  able  to  eat  any  thing,  unless  some 
sweetmeats,  which  certain  persons  of  quahty 
sent  him  from  Mexico — upon  which  he  said, 
''  Thou  art  wonderful,  my  God,  in  that  a  man 
who  possesses  nothing  in  the  world,  having 
need  of  such  food  as  belongs  to  noblemen,  has 
it  provided  for  him." 

T  never  perceived  in  him,  during  his  whole 
illness,  any  repugnance  to  the  order  of  God, 
but  an  admirable  peace  and  tranquillity,  with 
an  entire  conformity  to  his  will.  All  his  vir- 
tues shelve  marvellously  in  his  sickness,  and 
particularly  his  humility.  A  few  days  before 
his  death,  an  Indian  of  St.  Foy  came  to  see 
him  ;  and,  as  he  did  not  understand  the  Indian 
tongue,  he  said  to  me,  ''  If  you  please,  my  Fa- 
ther, hear  him  ;  perhaps  he  would  give  me 
some  advice."    Such  was  his  spirit — to  believe 


THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY    LOPEZ.  105 

he  might  learn  from  ail  Indian,  in  the  state 
wherein  he  then  was ! 

All  this  time  his  pains  of  body  were  so 
great,  that,  when  I  asked  him  how  he  found 
himself,  and  in  what  part  his  sharpest  pain 
\ky,  he  answered,  *Trom  my  head  to  my  foot." 
It  was  then  that  a  lady  of  quality  came  from 
Mexico  to  visit  him  ;  but  as  she  had  not  profit- 
ed by  his  former  advices,  but  still  continued 
passionately  fond  of  dress  and  gaming,  I  sent 
her  word,  "  She  might  go  back,  for  she  could 
not  see  him.^  Three  or  four  hours  passed  in 
messages  to  knd  fro.  At  length,  hoping  it 
might  have  a  good  effect,  I  consented.  She 
was  admitted.  She  kneeled  down  by  his  bed, 
served  him  herself,  and  prepared  his  food  with 
her  own  hands,  with  the  utmost  tenderness  and 
humihty.  She  was  then  dressed  plain,  with- 
out any  ornaments  at  all.  During  the  time  she 
stayed  ai  St.  Foy,  she  had  much  conversation 
with  him  every  morning  and  evening,"  and  with 
many  tears  recommended  herself  to  his  prayers. 

From  that  time  she  felt  an  entire  change  in 
her  heart,  abhorring  the  things  of  which  she 
was  fond  before.  And,  some  days  before  she 
returned  to  Mexico,   she  told  me  with  great 


106    THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

joy,  "  My  Father,  you  shall  be  witness  that 
Gregory  Lopez  has  taken  charge  of  my  soul." 
He  replied,  "  I  have  so."  Immediately  his 
pains  redoubled,  and  she  on  her  part  felt  her- 
self struck  with  the  same  illness  which  he 
had.  Nevertheless,  she  continued  two  days 
serving  him  on  her  knees,  and  shedding  abun- 
dance of  tears.  But  her  illness  increasing 
daily,  she  was  constrained  to  return  to  Mexico. 
Lopez  said  to  her,  at  parting,  *' Madam,  fare- 
well :  we  shall  see  each  other  no  more." 

As  her  illness  increased,  in  the  same  propor- 
tion increased  her  shame  and  sorrow  for  her 
sins  :  and  so  did  his  pains.  When  she  was  in 
extremity,  one  came  from  her,  to  beg  he  would 
remember  her,  he  answered  to  my  astonish- 
ment, *'Yes,  I  do  ;  and  [  cany  tliis  weight  on 
my  shoulders."  Li  fine,  the  lady  died,  giving 
all  the  proof  that  was  possible  of  a  saving 
change.  I  heard  of  it  a  few  hours  after.  When 
I  mentioned  it  to  Lopez,  he  expressed  his  joy 
in  these  few  words,  "  God  has  all  power." 

I  have  related  this  to  shew  how  deeply  the 
love  of  his  neighbor  was  rooted  m  his  heart, 
and  with  what  ardor  he  assisted,  even  in  his 
utmost  weakness,  the  souls  that  were  in  danger, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ.  107 

and  even  taking  as  it  were  to  himself  the  pun- 
ishment of  their  sins,  as  he  seems  to  have  done 
on  this  occasion.  Seeing,  besides  the  exces- 
sive pains  of  body  which  he  felt,  the  inward 
cross  which  he  bore  from  the  time  that  he 
charged  himself  with  this  soul,  was  so  extreme- 
ly heavy,  that  he  was  astonished  at  himself; 
and  not  knowing  before  what  it  was  to  com- 
plain, he  then  cried  out,  with  the  strongest 
emotion,  **  Jesus,  assist  me!  my  God,  how 
severe  is  this  refining  fire  !"  And  one  time, 
when  I  was  going  out,  he  stopt  me,  saying, 
"  My  Father,  do  not  leave  me.  Alas  !  it  was 
not  without  great  reason,  that  Christ  bade  his 
apostles  stay  and  watch  with  him."  Such  a 
word  as  never  fell  from  him  before  in  the  se- 
verest trials,  either  of  body  or  soul. 

Yet,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  inward  pains,  his 
courage  and  faith  were  unshaken.  I  frequently 
asked,  during  all  those  storms,  "  Do  you  con- 
tinue that  act  of  pure  love  ?"  He  answered, 
"  That  is  always  the  same."  To  set  which  in 
the  clearest  light,  I  will  repeat  the  several 
questions  which  I  proposed,  when  I  saw  him 
at  the  lowest  ebb,  and  his  answers. 


108  THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

One  time,  I  asked  if  so  great  pain  did  not  a 
little  divert  him  from  tliinking  on  God  ?  He 
answered,  "  Not  in  the  least."  Another  time, 
seeing  him  suffer  extremely,  I  said,  now  is  the 
time  to  think  upon  God.  "And  of  whom 
should  I  ever  think,"  was  his  reply.  When  he 
was  in  the  very  pangs  of  death,  I  said,  are  you 
thoroughly  united  to  God  ?  He  answered, 
"Yes,  thoroughly." 

Another  time  he  turned  to  me,  and  said, 
"Perseverance,  joined  with  peace,  is  of  great 
price."  And  when  I  comforted  him  by  saying 
God  led  him  in  the  way  of  the  cross,  as  he  had 
done  his  own  Son,  he  replied,  "I  cannot  be  too 
thankful  for  it,  nor  rejoice  in  it  too  much.  His 
holy  will  be  accomplished  in  me."  In  fine, 
when  it  appeared  to  me  lime  to  give  him  the 
blessing,  I  said,  behold  the  time  of  going  to  see 
the  secret  of  the  Lord — he  answered,  "  All  is 
clear,  there  is  no  longer  any  thing  hid — it  is 
full  noon  with  me."  Plainly  declaring,  that 
the  light  which  then  shone  upon  his  soul  far 
surpassed  that  of  the  noon-day  sun.  And  in 
this  marvellous  confidence,  full  of  faith,  hope, 
and  love,  he  gave  up  his  spirit  to  God. 


THE    LIFE    OF    GREGORY  LOPEZ.  109 

This  was  on  Saturday  noon,  on  the  20th  of 
July.  He  hved  fifty-four  years,  thirty-four  of 
them  in  America.  His  face  appeared  as  if  he 
had  been  still  alive.  His  flesh,  all  over  his 
body,  was  as  soft  as  that  of  a  little  child ;  and 
many  who  touched  him,  even  for  twenty-four 
hours  after,  found  all  the  parts  of  his  body  full 
as  flexible  as  those  of  a  living  man.  His  corpse 
was  carried  into  the  church,  where  it  remained 
all  the  night.  The  Indians  covered  it  with 
roses,  and  abundance  of  other  flowers,  as  a 
testimony  of  their  love. 

As  soon  as  his  death  was  known  at  Mexico, 
many  persons  of  quality,  as  well  as  people  of 
all  ranks,  ran  to  St.  Foy,  that  they  might  be 
present  at  his  funeral.  All  appeared  full  of 
joy  and  consolation,  believing  there  was  no  oc- 
casion for  tears  here,  as  at  the  death  of  other 
.persons,  but  rejoicing  with  him  who  was  now 
triumphing  in  his  own  country. 

His  body  was  interred  near  the  high  altar, 
the  Dean  of  Mexico  performing  the  office,  and 
brother  Hernando  Hortez,  one  of  the  cannons, 
preached  his  funeral  sermon. 

He  was  of  a  middle  size,  and  so  exactly  pro- 
portioned, that  no  blemish  could  be  found  in 
7 


110     THE  LIFE  OF  GREGORY  LOPEZ. 

him.  But  his  constitution  was  tender ;  his 
hair  was  chesnut ;  he  had  a  large  and  high 
forehead  :  his  eye-brows  were  arched,  his  ears 
small,  his  eyes  black,  and  his  sight  so  strong 
that  he  read  the  smallest  print  or  writing  with- 
out spectacles.  His  nose  was  inclining  to 
large  ;  his  lips  small,  though  the  under  lip 
somewhat  thicker  than  the  other.  His  teeth 
were  even  and  white  ;  his  face  and  hands  of  a 
dead,  wan  color,  through  his  extreme  absti- 
nence. But  the  beauty  of  his  soul  shone 
throvighhis  face,  and  wrought  such  a  reverence 
in  'fin  who  beheld  him,  that  they  considered 
him  rather  as  one  just  come  down  from  heaven, 
than  a  mortal  creature. 


HERMIT 


THE    HERMIT.* 


BY  DR.  T.  PARNELL. 


Far  in  a  wild,  unknown  to  public  view, 
From  youth  to  age  a  reverend  Hermit  grew  ; 
The  moss  his  bed,  the  cave  his  humble  cell, 
His  food  the  fruits,  his  drink  the  crystal  well : 
Remote  from  man,  with  God  he  passed  the  days, 
Prayer  all  hisbus'ness,  all  his  pleasure  praise. 

A  life  so  sacred,  such  serene  repose, 
Seem'd  Heav'n  itself,  tiU  one  suggestion  rose ; 
That  vice  should  triumph,  virlue  vice  obey. 
This  sprung  some  doubt  of  Providence's  sway ; 


*  It  is  impossible  (says  a  writer)  for  any  one  who  has  a  taste  for  poe- 
try to  read  this  poem  without  pleasure  and  profit.  A  late  celebrated  wri- 
ter justly  obsei-ves,  that  this  poem  "is  conspicuous,throughout  the  whole 
of  it,  for  beautiful  descriptive  narration.  The  manner  of  the  Hermit's 
setting-  forth  to  visit  the  world  ;  his  meeting  with  a  companion,  and  the 
houses  an  which  they  are  successively  entertained,  of  the  vain  man,  the 
covetous  man,  and  the  good  man,  are  pieces  of  very  fine  painting,  touch- 
ed with  a  hght  and  delicate  pencil,  overcharged  with  no  superfluous 
coloring,  and  conveying  to  us  a  lively  idea  of  the  objects,"— Dr.  Blair'* 
Lectures  on  Rhetoric,  vol.  Hi.  page  163. 


114  THE   HERMIT. 

His  hopes  no  more  a  certain  prospect  boast, 
And  all  the  tenor  of  his  soul  is  lost — 
So  when  a  smooth  expanse  receives  imprest 
Calm  nature's  image  on  its  watery  breast, 
Down  bend  the  banks,  the  trees  depending  grow, 
And  skies  beneath  with  answ'ring  colors  glow : 
But  if  a  stone  the  gentle  sea  divide. 
Swift  ruffling  circles  curl  on  every  side, 
And  glimmering  fragments  of  a  broken  sun, 
Banks,  tiees,  and  skies,  in  thick  disorder  run. 

To  clear  this  doubt,  to  know  the  world  by  sight. 
To  find  if  books,  or  swains,  report  it  right ; 
(For  yet  by  swains  alone  the  world  he  khew, 
Whose  feet  came  wandering  o'er  the  nightly  dew) 
He  quits  his  cell ; — the  pilgrim-staff  he  bore, 
And  fix'd  the  scallop  in  his  hat  before  ; 
Then  with  the  sun  a  rising  journey  went. 
Sedate  to  think,  and  watching  each  event. 

The  morn  was  wasted  in  the  pathless  grass. 
And  long  and  lonesome  was  the  wild  to  pass  ; 
But  when  the  Southern  sun  had  warm'd  the  day, 
A  youth  came  posting  o'er  a  crossing  way ; 
His  raiment  decent,  his  complexion  fair, 
And  soft  in  graceful  ringlets  wav'd  his  hair! 
Then  near  approaching,  "  Father,  hail !"  he  cried 
And  "  Hail,  my  son  !"  the  rev'rend  sire  replied. 


THE    HERMIT.  115 

Words  follow'd  words,  from  question  answer  flow'd, 
And  talk  of  various  kind  deceiv'd  the  road ; 
'Till  each  with  other  pleas'd,  and  loth  to  part, 
While  in  their  age  they  differ 'd,  join  in  heart ; 
Thus  stands  an  aged  elm  in  ivy  bound, 
Thus  youthful  ivy  clasps  an  elm  around. 

Now  sunk  the  sun ;  the  closing  hour  of  day 
Came  onward,  mantled  o'er  with  sober  grey  ; 
Nature  in  silence  bid  the  world  repose  : 
When  near  the  road  a  stately  palace  rose  : 
There,  by  the  moon,  through  ranks  of  trees  they  pass, 
WTiose  verdure  crown'd  their  sloping  sides  of  grass. 
It  ehanc'd  the  noble  master  of  the  dome 
Still  made  his  house  the  wandering  stranger's  home : 
Yet  still  the  kindness,  from  a  thirst  of  praise, 
Prov'd  the  vain  flourish  of  expensive  ease. 
The  pair  arrive  :  the  liv'ried  servants  wait ; 
Their  lord  receives  them  at  the  pompous  gate. 
The  table  groans  with  costly  piles  of  food, 
And  all  is  more  than  hospitably  good. 
Then  led  to  rest,  the  day's  long  toil  they  drown, 
Deep  sunk  in  sleep,  and  silk,  and  heaps  of  down. 

At  length  'tis  morn,  and  at  the  dawn  of  day 
Along  the  wide  canals  the  zephyrs  play ; 
Fresh  o'er  the  gay  parterres  the  breezes  creep, 
And  shake  the  neighboring  wood  to  banish  sleep. 


116  THE    HERMIT. 

Up  rise  the  guests,  obedient  to  the  call, 
An  early  banquet  deck'd  the  splendid  hall ; 
Rich  luscious  wine  a  golden  goblet  grac'd, 
Which  the  kind  master  forc'd  the  guests  to  taste. 
Then  pleas'd  and  thankful,  from  the  porch  they  go  ; 
And,  but  the  landlord,  none  had  cause  of  woe  ; 
His  cup  was  vanished  ;  for  in  secret  guise 
The  younger  guest  purloin'd  the  glittering  prize  ! 

As  one  who  spies  a  serpent  in  his  way, 
Ghst'ning  and  basking  in  the  summer  ray, 
Disorder'd  stops  to  shun  the  danger  near. 
Then  walks  with  faintness  on,  and  looks  with  fear ; 
So  seem'd  the  sire  ;  when  far  upon  the  road, 
The  shining  spoil  his  wily  partner  show'd. 
He  stopp'd  with  silence,  -v^^alkM  with  trembling  heart. 
And  much  he  wish'd,  but  durst  not  ask  to  part ; 
Murmuring  he  lifts  his  eyes,  and  thinks  it  hard, 
That  generous  actions  meet  a  base  reward. 

While  thus  they  pass,  the  sun  his  glory  shrouds. 
The  changing  skies  hang  out  their  sable  clouds  ; 
A  sound  in  air  presag'd  approaching  rain. 
And  beasts  to  covert  scud  across  the  plain. 
Warn'd  by  the  signs,  the  wandering  pair  retreat, 
To  seek  for  shelter  at  a  neighboring  seat. 
*Twas  built  with  turrets,  on  a  rising  ground, 
And  strong,  and  large,  and  unimproved  aroimd ; 


THE  HERMIT.  117 

Its  owner's  temper,  tim'rous  and  severe, 
Unkind  and  griping,  caus'd  a  desert  there. 
As  near  the  Miser's  heavy  doors  they  drew, 
Fierce  rising  gusts  with  sudden  fury  blew ; 
The  nimble  light'ning  mix'd  with  showers  began, 
And  o'er  their  heads  loud-rolling  thunder  ran. 
Here  long  they  knock,  but  knock  or  call  in  vain, 
Driven  by  the  wind,  and  batter'd  by  the  rain. 
At  length  some  pity  wann'd  the  master's  breast, 
('Twas  then  his  threshhold  first  received  a  guest) 
Slow  creaking  turns  the  door  with  jealous  care, 
And  half  he  welcomes  in  the  shiv'ring  pair ; 
One  frugal  fagot  lights  the  naked  walls. 
And  nature's  fervor  through  their  limbs  recalls  : 
Bread  of  the  coarsest  sort,  with  eager  wine, 
■(Each  hardly  granted)  serv'd  them  both  to  dine ; 
And  when  the  tempest  first  appeared  to  cease, 
A  ready  warning  bid  them  part  in  peace. 

With  still  remark  the  pondering  Hermit  vie  v'd 
In  one  so  rich,  a  life  so  poor  and  rude  ; 
And  why  should  such  (within  himself  he  cried) 
Lock  the  lost  wealth  a  thousand  want  beside  1 
But  what  new  marks  of  wonder  soon  took  place. 
In  every  settling  feature  of  his  face  ! 
When  from  his  vest  the  young  companion  bore 
That  cup,  the  gen'rous  landlord  own'd  before, 
And  paid  profusely  with  the  precious  bowl 
The  stinted  kindness  of  this  churlish  soul. 


118  THE    HERMIT. 

But  now  the  clouds  in  airy  tumult  fly  ; 
The  sun  emerging  opes  an  azure  sky ; 
A  fresher  green  the  smelling  leaves  display, 
And  glittering  as  they  tremble,  cheer  the  day ; 
The  weather  courts  them  from  the  poor  retreat,  ^ 

And  the  glad  master  bolts  the  wary  gate. 

While  hence  they  walk,  the  pilgrim's  bosom  wrought 
With  all  the  travel  of  uncertain  thought ; 
His  partner's  acts  without  their  cause  appear, 
'Twas  there  a  vice,  and  seem'd  a  madness  here : 
Detesting  that,  and  pitying  this,  he  goes, 
Lost  and  confounded  with  the  various  shows. 
Now  night's  dim  shades  again  involve  the  sky ; 
Again  the  wanderers  want  a  place  to  lie. 
Again  they  search,  and  find  a  lodging  nigh. 
The  soil  improv'd  around,  the  mansion  neat, 
And  neither  poorly  low,  nor  idly  great : 
It  seem'd  to  speak  its  master's  turn  of  mind, 
<)ontent,  and  not  fot  praise,  but  virtue  kind. 

Hither  the  wzilkers  turn  with  weary  feet, 
Then  bless  the  mansion,  and  the  master  greet : 
Their  greeting  fair,  bestowed  with  modest  guise, 
The  courteous  master  hears,  and  thus  replies  : 

"  Without  a  vain,  without  a  grudging  heart> 
To  him  who  gives  us  all,  I  yield  a  part ; 


THE    HERMIT.  119 

From  him  you  come,  for  him  accept  it  here, 
A  frank  and  sober,  more  than  costly  cheer." 
He  spoke,  and  bid  the  welcome  table  spread, 
Then  talk'd  of  virtue  till  the  time  of  bed, 
When  the  grave  household  round  his  hall  repair, 
Warn'd  by  a  bell,  and  close  the  hours  with  prayer. 

At  length  the  world,  renewed  by  calm  repose, 
Was  strong  for  toil,  the  dappled  morn  arose  ; 
Before  the  pilgrims  part,  the  younger  crept 
Near  the  clos'd  cradle  where  an  infant  slept, 
And  writh'd  his  neck  :  the  landlord's  little  pride, 
O  strange  return  !  grew  black,  and  gasp'd,  and  died. 
Horror  of  horrors  !  what !  his  only  son  ! 
How  look'd  our  Hermit  when  the  fact  was  done  1 
Not  hell,  though  hell's  black  jaws  in  sunder  part, 
And  breathe  blue  fire,  could  more  assault  his  heart. 

Confus'd,  and  struck  with  silence  at  the  deed, 
He  flies,  but  trembling  fails  to  fly  with  speed. 
His  steps  the  youth  pursues  ;  the  country  lay 
Perplex'd  with  roads,  a  servant  shew'd  the  way : 
A  river  cross'd  the  path  ;  the  passage  o'er 
Was  nice  to  find  ;  the  servant  trod  before  ; 
Long  arms  of  oaks  an  open  bridge  supplied, 
And  deep  the  waves  beneath  the  bending  ghde. 
The  youth,  who  seem'd  to  watch  a  time  to  sin, 
Approach'd  the  careless  guide,  and  thrust  him  in  : 


120  THE    HERMIT. 

Plunging  he  falls,  and  rising  lifts  his  head ; 
Then  flashing  turns,  and  sinks  among  the  dead ! 

Wild,  sparkling  rage  inflames  the  Father's  eyes, 
He  bursts  the  bands  of  fear,  and  madly  cries, 

"  Detested  \^Tretch !" But  scarce  his  speech  began, 

When  the  strange  partner  seem'd  no  longer  man  : 
His  youthful  face  grew  more  serenely  sweet ; 
His  robe  turn'd  white,  and  flowed  upon  his  feet ; 
Fair  rounds  of  radiant  points  invest  his  hair ; 
Celestial  odors  breathe  through  purpled  air  ; 
And  wings,  whose  colors  glittered  on  the  day, 
Wide  at  his  back  their  gradual  plumes  display. 
The  form  ethereal  bursts  upon  his  sight, 
And  moves  in  all  the  majesty  of  light. 

Though  loud  at  first  the  pilgrim's  passion  grew, 
Sudden  he  gaz'd  and  wist  not  what  to  do, 
Surprise  in  secret  chains  his  words  suspends, 
And  in  a  calm  his  settling  temper  ends. 
But  silence  here  the  beauteous  angel  broke, 
<The  voice  of  music  ravish'd  as  he  spoke.) 

"  Thy  pray'r,  thy  praise,  thy  life  to  vice  unknown, 
In  sweet  memorial  rise  before  the  throne  : 
These  charms,  success  in  our  bright  region  find, 
And  force  an  angel  down  to  calm  thy  mind  ; 
For  this  commission'd,  I  forsook  the  sky  : 
Nay,  cease  to  kneel — thy  fellow  servant  I. 


THE    HERMIT.  121 

"  Then  know  the  truth  of  government  divine, 
And  let  these  scruples  be  no  longer  thine. 

"  The  Maker  justly  claims  that  world  he  made. 
In  this  the  right  of  Providence  is  laid  ; 
Its  sacred  majesty  through  all  depends 
On  using  second  means  to  work  his  ends  : 
'Tis  thus,  withdrawn  in  state  from  human  eye 
The  power  exerts  his  attributes  on  high, 
Your  actions  uses,  nor  controls  your  will. 
And  bids  the  doubting  sons  of  men  be  still. 

"  What  strange  events  can  strike  with  more  surprise 
Than  those  which  lately  struck  thy  wond'ring  eyes  ! 
Yet  taught  by  these,  confess  the  Almighty  just. 
And  where  you  can't  unriddle,  learn  to  trust. 

"  The  great,  vain  man,  who  far'd  on  costly  food, 
Whose  life  was  too  luxurious  to  be  good ; 
Who  made  his  ivory  stands  with  goblets  shine. 
And  forc'd  his  guests  to  morning  draughts  of  wine, 
Has,  with  the  cup,  the  graceless  custom  lost. 
And  still  he  welcomes,  but  with  less  of  cost. 

"  The  mean,  suspicious  wretch,  whose  bolted  door, 
Ne'er  mov'd  in  duty  to  the  wandering  poor ; 
With  him  I  left  the  cup,  to  teach  his  mind 
That  Heav'n  can  bless,  if  mortals  will  be  kind. 
Conscious  of  wanting  worth,  he  views  the  bowl, 
And  feels  compassion  touch  his  grateful  soul. 


122  THE    HERMIT. 

Thus  artists  melt  the  sullen  oar  of  lead, 
With  heaping  coals  of  fire  upon  its  head ; 
^n  the  kind  warmth  the  metal  learns  to  glow, 
And,  loose  from  dross,  the  silver  runs  below. 

"  Long  had  our  pious  friend  in  virtue  trod, 
But  now  the  chdd  half-wean'd  his  heart  from  God ; 
(Child  of  his  age)  for  him  he  Uv'd  in  pain. 
And  measur'd  back  his  steps  to  earth  again. 
To  what  excesses  had  his  dotage  run "? 
But  God,  to  save  the  father,  took  the  son. 
To  all  but  thee,  in  fits  he  seem'd  to  go, 
(And  'twas  my  ministry  to  deal  the  blow.) 
The  poor  fond  parent,  humbled  in  the  dust. 
Now  owns  in  tears  the  punishment  was  just. 

"  But  how  had  all  his  fortune  felt  a  wrack, 
Had  that  false  servant  sped  in  safety  back  ? 
This  night  his  treasur'd  heaps  he  meant  to  steal, 
And  what  a  fund  of  charity  would  fail ! 

"  Thus  heav'n  instructs  thy  mind  :  this  trial  o'er, 
Depart  in  peace,  resign,  and  sin  no  more." 

On  sounding  pinions  here  the  youth  withdrew. 
The  sage  stood  wond'ring  as  the  seraph  flew. 
Thus  look'd  Ehsha,  when  to  mount  on  high 
His  Master  took  the  chariot  of  the  sky  ; 


THK    HERMIT.  123 

The  fier}'  pomp  ascending  left  the  view ; 
The  prophet  gaz'd,  and  wish'd  to  follow  too. 

The  bending  Hermit  here  a  pray'r  begun, 
"  Lord,  as  in  heaven,  on  earth  thy  will  he  done.  ^'^ 
Then  gladly  turning,  sought  his  ancient  place, 
And  pass'd  a  life  of  piety  and  peace. 


LATELY  PUBLISHED, 
BY     JOHN     EYRE, 

And  Sold  at  40  Fulton  Street. 

The  Christian  Spectator ;  comprising  a  Journey 
from    England  to  America — two   years  in  that     Cts, 
State,  Travels  in  America,  &c 18 


The  European  Stranger  in  America,    ....       25 

Together,  (unbound) 37^- 

Bound,  (together) 50 


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